Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has instructed the Mumbai civic authorities to take immediate action on unauthorized constructions on war footing.

In a virtual meeting held on Wednesday, Thackeray said no illegal construction will be tolerated in Mumbai and called upon the BMC to remove all encroachments without any pressure. The CM said the civic body should install cameras to remove huge piles of debris being dumped along the Eastern and Western Express highways and ordered immediate action against it.

Thackeray categorically stated that ward officers should take immediate action very consciously and strictly and not tolerate pressure from anyone. “We are with you” he said.

The CM also directed the BMC to complete fixing of potholes on roads, work on sidewalks, dividers , sanitation and civic amenities in a timely manner with cleanliness to make Mumbai, a model city with high-quality facilities.

He further said that tendering process for road repair works in Mumbai should follow the process and should be done in a transparent manner so that no one can point fingers.
 
Praising BMC for its efficient handling of Covid, the chief minister said, “The Mumbai model was praised in the battle of Covid. Your efforts have made it possible. We have proven ourselves as a team but without stopping there, we must now focus on civic amenities. Just like we have assigned ward-wise squads for daily cleaning, we should also appoint squads for clearing of debris and see how construction waste and stone-brick soil can be picked up immediately.”

The CM also said that the festival season has started but the threat of Covid is not yet over. He has spoken to some doctors in the UK, where Covid infections appear to be on the rise again. Hospitals are filling up with patients back there. He said we need to take care. There have been outbreaks of malaria, dengue and chikungunya during the monsoon season and we must be very careful to prevent the spread of these diseases also.

Municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, assistant commissioner, deputy commissioner, ward officers, medical superintendent of municipal hospitals as well as members of the task force were present at the meeting.