Flippant replies to citizens’ RTI queries take the sheen off Wall Street Journal praise.
On the one hand, its skywalk project has made the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) proud. The Wall Street Journal has applauded it for the skywalk from Bandra station to the Kalanagar junction on the Western Express Highway.
On the other hand, the skywalk project is giving the MMRDA the blushes. Right to information (RTI) queries by citizens regarding skywalks in the city have time and again seen MMRDA officials giving contradictory replies.
Foremost, there is confusion over the exact number of skywalks the MMRDA plans to build across the city. The MMRDA has made an official announcement that there would be 57 skywalks. But a recent RTI application by Grant Road resident Arvind Dagha fetched a document from the authority listing 80 skywalks planned for the city.
In February 2009, Vile Parle resident Ketan Gada asked the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), which is constructing the Vile Parle (West) skywalk for the MMRDA, for copies of the consent letters it had obtained from the Member of Parliament (MP), the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and the corporator representing the locality. He got a reply stating that “oral” permissions had been obtained from the three.
But Dagha’s RTI application obtained a detailed list of meetings held with local representatives. Copies of both the RTI applications and replies are with DNA.
The MMRDA has been vague in its reply to certain questions, such as who is responsible for the loss of money where a skywalk
construction began, but was later cancelled.
Another RTI application by a citizen had the MMRDA talking in riddles. His query was regarding the cost escalation of the skywalk project. Initially, 30 skywalks had been planned, and were to cost Rs600 crore. Later, the MMRDA increased the number of skywalks to 57 and the cost to Rs1,400 crore.
Explaining the steep rise — an additional Rs800 crore for 27 more skywalks — the MMRDA officials cited the rising cost of steel, the need for aesthetic improvement, etc. as reasons.
Surprisingly, the same officials had earlier said that the skywalk project would cost less thanks to the fall in steel prices.
DNA pointed out the flip-flops to MMRDA spokesperson Dilip Kawathkar. But he strongly defended his officials. “All permissions related to each and every skywalk have been obtained as per requirements. There are no irregularities,” he said.
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