Skywalk projects hit stumbling block

Shiv Sena says projects at Shivajinagar and Swargate not economically viable, will aggravate congestion on narrow roads

Skywalk projects hit stumbling block

Shiv Sena says projects at Shivajinagar and Swargate not economically viable, will aggravate congestion on narrow roads

Do we really need the luxury of a skywalk? This is the recurring question being raised by Shiv Sena group leader Shyam Deshpande. Even though the two proposed skywalks in the city were approved last week by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), the Shiv Sena is not convinced that the projects will be of help.u00a0

Slow cost recovery
Deshpande said the civic body should review the proposal. "The recovery cost will take at least 38 years. The
Pune Municipal Corporation should concentrate on removing encroachments on pavements. Our roads are narrow and now the new skywalks will exacerbate the situation." Earlier, standing committee members, including Sunil Kamble of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Ashwini Kadam of the Nationalist Congress Party and Ashok Harnawal of the Shiv Sena asked for reconsideration of the project to the committee that is scheduled to meet next week.

"We are not anti-establishment but the project has been given to a contractor who has already been given many projects in the city. Let there be a healthy competition in the tender as many other companies are also
specialised in making walkways," said Ravindra Dhangekar, MNS group leader in PMC. Neelesh Nikam, NCP corporator and former leader of the PMC house, said if the skywalk is financially not viable for the PMC and also for the citizen we must oppose them. "Our stand shall continue when the subject will be open for discussion in the general body meeting," he said.Ganesh Bidkar, standing committee chairman, said the skywalk project was
not new and the subject had been discussed for the last one year."The allegation that it was passed in the standing committee meeting without any discussions and was half-heartedly approved is not true," Bidkar said.

Transparent process
"Everything was transparent in the approval and tendering process. Why the Shiv Sena and the MNS have suddenly changed their stand will only be clear in the general body meeting."

The proposal
The PMC standing committee approved the two skywalk projects on design, build, own and transfer basis. The first 1,650m skywalk, from Shivajinagar to the PMC building, will cost Rs 39 crore, while the second skywalk of 2,856m is proposed to be built between Mahatma Phule Mandai and Swargate at a cost of Rs 62 crore. Both the areas areu00a0 crowded and this will help the pedestrians to avoid traffic on the roads is the surmise.