Mumbai: BMC Spent Rs 21,000 Cr On Roads In Last 24 Years, Reveals RTI

After a Right to Information (RTI) application was filed, data revealed that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) had spent an amount of ₹ 21,000 crore in the past 24 years on the repair, maintenance, and construction of new roads.

The maximum amount of money was spent between 2013 and 2014, accounting for a total of ₹ 3,201 crore, as per the report. Following this, the road scam was highlighted in the following year, raising questions over the expenditure.

Andheri MLA Ameet Satam said that in January, the BMC said its road department had spent more than ₹ 21,000 crore since 1997 in reply given to his RTI filed, as reported by Times Now.

Reason Behind Increasing Number Of Potholes

Satnam said that even though bad roads are among the most pressing problems in this city, their condition has not changed for decades. He further added that there are multiple reasons behind this, one being a lack of coordination between multiple utility agencies and the BMC. Explaining it further, he said that when a road is newly made, the very next year it is dug up for laying of cables. He pointed out that another problem is that no major road construction company comes forward to take up projects as the tender size is very small for them. He even added that they are hesitant as they feel they may have to grease palms at multiple levels.

As per the latest data, BMC's pothole complaints has increased to 437, compared with 315 in 2020.

Experts have pointed this out and mentioned it as a vicious circle. According to them, adequate quality checks are not done when a road is repaired and, no one demands the best quality work for the amount of money spent. Apart from this, the growing traffic puts a significant load on city roads, which develops into potholes later.

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