BMC laxity may leave suburb streets in dark

The BMC’s casual attitude towards the suburb may land the Eastern Express Highway and LBS road, from Kanjurmarg to Mulund, in the dark from January 1.

The Maharashtra State electricity Distribution Company (MSEDC) had told the BMC that they will not undertake streetlights maintenance in Kanjur, Bhandup and Mulund.

Despite the repeated reminders, the BMC has not yet revised the maintenance agreement, due since 1998.

Irked by the BMC’s attitude, the discom has now decided to discontinue maintenance from January 1, 2011.

The MSEDC has been subsidising tariff for streetlights but looking at the inflation in the last few years, the discom had proposed a revision of agreement. It had set a September deadline after meeting the BMC officials.

“As BMC is not revising the agreement, the MSEDCL will stop maintenance. Electricity will not be discontinued but if there is a fault in any line, there will be nobody to repair it,” said Manij Kotak, BJP local corporator and chairman of BMC improvements committee.

“Our department is doing rigorous follow-ups for revision of the agreement with different departments of the BMC. The officials concerned are non-responsive. No one from the BMC has initiated efforts,” stated the MSEDC’s letter to BMC commissioner Swadhin Kshatriya.

It further said, “We would stop maintaining streetlights from January 1, 2011 as it has become excruciating in the present scenario. Hence, it is the final request for completion of process before the month-end.”