All-India Congress Committee Secretary and Mumbai Congress Chief Spokesperson Sachin Sawant alleged that the ruling alliance has neglected key civic issues such as roads, pollution and public health, while focusing instead on serving select interests
Congress leader Sachin Sawant said the judiciary has been forced to step in time and again to address civic failures. File pic
The Congress on Tuesday said the recent observations by the Bombay High Court (HC) on air pollution and civic issues in Mumbai have exposed the “inaction and inefficiency” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Mahayuti Government in Maharashtra, which is currently running the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) through an administrator, news agency PTI reported.
All-India Congress Committee Secretary and Mumbai Congress Chief Spokesperson Sachin Sawant alleged that the ruling alliance has neglected key civic issues such as roads, pollution and public health, while focusing instead on serving select interests.
His remarks came after the court pulled up civic authorities and the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), clarifying that it was not against development or construction activity in the city but was seeking strict compliance with norms to curb air pollution, PTI reported.
A bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad observed that authorities had failed to ensure compliance and directed BMC and MPCB to take serious steps to address the worsening air pollution in Mumbai.
Following the court’s directions on Monday, BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani and MPCB member-secretary Devendra Singh appeared before the bench on Tuesday, PTI reported. The court was hearing a batch of petitions highlighting concerns over the deteriorating air quality index (AQI) in the city.
Referring to the HC’s repeated interventions on issues such as potholes, air pollution, and the Kanjurmarg dumping ground, Sawant said the judiciary has been forced to step in time and again to address civic failures.
Mahayuti's functioning has damaged Mumbai's image, alleges Congress
“If courts have to intervene in every matter, then it raises serious questions about the standards of governance,” said Sawant.
He further claimed that the court’s observations have once again exposed the “inaction and inefficiency” of the BJP-led Mahayuti Government. Sawant alleged that the alliance’s functioning has damaged Mumbai’s image as the country’s financial capital, pointing out that the BJP, the lead party in the state coalition, is also in power at the Centre.
He further accused the ruling alliance of diverting public attention from civic issues by creating disputes on religious lines.
Appealing to voters ahead of the January 15 BMC elections, Sawant urged them to defeat the BJP-led Mahayuti, alleging that it has failed to provide even clean air and basic civic amenities to the people of Mumbai.
(With PTI inputs)
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