Statement of the Maharashtra Council of the Lok Raj Sangathan, July 2018
Citizens!
Every year we are tortured during the monsoons. But this year we have suffered even more. The sins of the administration and elected representatives have crossed all limits. Due to the horrendous condition of the roads, many people have lost their lives and others have got injured within Kalyan-Dombivali. Many more have been afflicted with permanent back problems. This is also the condition of roads in most of the main cities.
The question is who is responsible for this? The bad roads or the pouring rains? The administration always says, “What can we do, it rained excessively!” Some say, “The contractors did not do their job properly!” But citizens, just think about this. If we commit even a small mistake in our jobs, even inadvertently, we are punished heavily and even removed from service. We cannot say that it rained excessively. But the administration is so shameless, the concerned minister even commented, “What can be done? Lakhs of people use those roads. They didn’t die.”
What can we say about the elected representatives from the local corporator right up to the MP? They only put the blame either on the ruling party or on the opposition. It seems as though they just play the blame game and then wait for such incidents to happen. When it comes to cutting ribbons and hogging the credit for these very same roads, footpaths and bridges, they are ever ready, but when these same roads or bridges are reduced to a horrible condition, they shrug off all the responsibility!
Citizens!
We cannot accept this. We should firmly tell all the administrative officers and the elected representatives at every level that they are responsible for the safety and well-being of all the citizens and if they fail they will have to answer for it. They will not be able to shove their responsibility on the rains or on the contractors or on anyone else. If they cannot handle this responsibility they should step down, is what we must admonish them. We should establish that his is what rule of the people, by the people and for the people means. It does not mean that the leaders hog the credit while people suffer.
Come, on, let us unitedly raise the following demands:
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The administration of the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation and concerned people’s representatives should be held responsible for the deaths of five people in this manner and orders should immediately be given to take severe action against them!
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The relatives of those who died due to potholes should immediately be given apt compensation!
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Immediately order proper repairing of roads in order to prevent such eventualities in the future!
