Infrastructure is the key to Mumbai's future.
It decides whether we will always be stuck in traffic or whether Mumbai's globalisation dreams will be gridlocked ditto.
It's a clumsy word, and its implementation is as much of a twister, mired in too little funding, and too much politics, greed, indifference and inefficiency. Promise has fallen far short of performance and projects - and our hopes - wither away in despair. To compound matters the large influx of people into Mumbai places even more pressure on its resources. But two new factors could force a change. India grabbing international spoils and wannabe cities grabbing Mumbai's primacy as commercial capital have created a desperate urgency. The new poster girls such as the SEZs will perforce have to be less ill-conceived and less dithering than, say, the Rewas-Mandwa airport. Of course, political considerations will continue to stop business as usual.
There are many who doubt whether anywhere in the near future Mumbai can improve its infrastructure enough to accomodate the constant influx of people into the city.
What do you think?
Resident Editor, TOI Mumbai
Posted on Wednesday, May 17, 2006 7:07 PM
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Times of India Initiative and Rayani the pioneer
Mumbai Infrastructure
Times of India has probably kicked of this initiative, but i feel it should be more practical.. We all know where the shoe pinches, can we talk now on our next step of actions? It is for the media houses like the Bennett Coleman group to bring the reality to the notice of the common man. The slution isn't so far fetched as is being made out to be ! This is what is needed. the suggestions and action plans are excellent. The autorities who are supposedd to act either on their own or on public and experts' suggestions must be made to act.They never act unless they are forced to act by force of Law.The media can highlight and monitor the problems and the projects to solve them.They have got their elaborate reporting network in place.they have to revolutionise their working style and philosophy.Their duty is not to report at random about arbitrarily chosen projects.They should systematically monitor the infrastructure projects by mandating the reporters.If the monthly progress is notv according to promises and plans,it should be highlighted in the Mumbai Mission.Regularly,consistently.And it alerts the Legally Active Groups like Janhit Manch to prepare cases and file PLIs.When every rogue politician-minister and bureaucrat has a Damocle's sword of Jail sentence hanging over him he will definitely act on every suggestion to save his head.This is the way to make our problems the politician-bureaucrat's problems.They will have to solve it or runaway from public life.It is our mistake to have made the public life so Cozy,irresponsible and enjoyable of the highest order,without an iota of accountability.Where is the ways and means for every common man to ensure accountability?The press and other media have the set-up and the network It is very easy for them.ToI has taken the lead.Only they have to definitely become tough and systematic.The randomness and the half-heartedness coupled with their undeclared philosophy of passive dignity have to be dumped in the ill-maintained BMC gutters as out-of-date and weak-kneed and inappropriate.That will bring the required results at the required pace. Posted by Rayani Friends. @ 5/22/2006 6:02 PM
Times of India has probably kicked of this initiative, but i feel it should be more practical.. We all know where the shoe pinches, can we talk now on our next step of actions? It is for the media houses like the Bennett Coleman group to bring the reality to the notice of the common man. The slution isn't so far fetched as is being made out to be ! This is what is needed. the suggestions and action plans are excellent. The autorities who are supposedd to act either on their own or on public and experts' suggestions must be made to act.They never act unless they are forced to act by force of Law.The media can highlight and monitor the problems and the projects to solve them.They have got their elaborate reporting network in place.they have to revolutionise their working style and philosophy.Their duty is not to report at random about arbitrarily chosen projects.They should systematically monitor the infrastructure projects by mandating the reporters.If the monthly progress is notv according to promises and plans,it should be highlighted in the Mumbai Mission.Regularly,consistently.And it alerts the Legally Active Groups like Janhit Manch to prepare cases and file PLIs.When every rogue politician-minister and bureaucrat has a Damocle's sword of Jail sentence hanging over him he will definitely act on every suggestion to save his head.This is the way to make our problems the politician-bureaucrat's problems.They will have to solve it or runaway from public life.It is our mistake to have made the public life so Cozy,irresponsible and enjoyable of the highest order,without an iota of accountability.Where is the ways and means for every common man to ensure accountability?The press and other media have the set-up and the network It is very easy for them.ToI has taken the lead.Only they have to definitely become tough and systematic.The randomness and the half-heartedness coupled with their undeclared philosophy of passive dignity have to be dumped in the ill-maintained BMC gutters as out-of-date and weak-kneed and inappropriate.That will bring the required results at the required pace. Posted by Rayani Friends. @ 5/22/2006 6:02 PM
Mumbai Infrastructure
Mumbai Infrastructure
While it is heartening to note the gigantic initiative by TOI, befitting the need of the times, the substance and coverage should be drastically revamped keeping effectiveness in mind. The mission will be definitely effective giving TOI’s power stature and reach, It will beat the shit out of the politicians and bureaucrats who refuse to move their asses under the intoxicating influence of money from business,builders and vested interests.They do not care until they are scared like hell out of their cockiness.See how Khot and surup singh need to he jailed to make them see Law. So the present approach of “touch & go”, “ touch me not” gentle nudge will not do anything to kick the fellows out of their stupor and for this they need to the sued. Bring in the PLI people, AGNI, BEAG, RAYANI (Jan Hit Manch) they will take care of those shirkers who will not wake up from their intoxication of perceived power & money. Interview the politicians and bureaucrats with details of the projects and the targets committed by them earlier, their poll promises and public promises. If they achieve publish their photos with congratulatory notes. If they do not achieve put them in the rogue’s galary. If they spend their time around starlets and models when they have to be on public duty and fail to do justice to their posts and the projects under them, they are “ROGUES”. We have come a long way from the need for passive dignity and now action is required. A”ROGUE” not waking up for consecutive four months will be taken to courts as an individual and an ultimate fate of Jail must hang above the heads of all the shirkers. They have got strong filthy motivations for not working. They should be sued, jailed & driven away so that honest forces can take over the city and its administration. It is not for shirkers to run the city and the nation.
While it is heartening to note the gigantic initiative by TOI, befitting the need of the times, the substance and coverage should be drastically revamped keeping effectiveness in mind. The mission will be definitely effective giving TOI’s power stature and reach, It will beat the shit out of the politicians and bureaucrats who refuse to move their asses under the intoxicating influence of money from business,builders and vested interests.They do not care until they are scared like hell out of their cockiness.See how Khot and surup singh need to he jailed to make them see Law. So the present approach of “touch & go”, “ touch me not” gentle nudge will not do anything to kick the fellows out of their stupor and for this they need to the sued. Bring in the PLI people, AGNI, BEAG, RAYANI (Jan Hit Manch) they will take care of those shirkers who will not wake up from their intoxication of perceived power & money. Interview the politicians and bureaucrats with details of the projects and the targets committed by them earlier, their poll promises and public promises. If they achieve publish their photos with congratulatory notes. If they do not achieve put them in the rogue’s galary. If they spend their time around starlets and models when they have to be on public duty and fail to do justice to their posts and the projects under them, they are “ROGUES”. We have come a long way from the need for passive dignity and now action is required. A”ROGUE” not waking up for consecutive four months will be taken to courts as an individual and an ultimate fate of Jail must hang above the heads of all the shirkers. They have got strong filthy motivations for not working. They should be sued, jailed & driven away so that honest forces can take over the city and its administration. It is not for shirkers to run the city and the nation.
Court to hear PIL on packed trains
Court to hear PIL on packed trains
22 Jan, 2006 l 0132 hrs ISTl
TIMES NEWS NETWORKSMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
MUMBAI: The issue of overcrowding of suburban trains and delay in the quadrupling of tracks between Borivli and Virar has reached the Bombay HC. The Janhit Manch, an NGO has filed a PIL seeking the court's directions to Western Railways to expedite work on the project. As per the 2001 census, the population of Mira-Bhayander, Vasai, Nallasopara and Virar had shot up to around 10 lakh. Bhagwanji Rayani, the man behind the PIL, is himself a regular traveller on the line and has submitted photographs of overcrowded trains between Borivli and Virar. "The passengers hang from the doors, travel on the rooftop, stand in the gap between coaches and even on windows," said Rayani in his petition. "This is extremely dangerous, but they have no option," he added. Before filing the PIL, Rayani submitted an application under the Right to Information Act, details of which were used to corroborate the claims in the petition.
The public information officer of the railways, in response to Rayani's queries, said during peak hours 3,408 commuters travel in nine-car rakes, while 4,544 are packed into 12-car rakes. The actual capacity of the rakes are 852 and 1,136 commuters respectively. The project of quadrupling of the tracks began in 1997 under the aegis of the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation and is a part of the Mumbai Urban Infrastructural Project. "The encroachments along the tracks and the failure of the contractors to carry out work have held up the project," said the officer. "The work can be completed 18 months after the removal of the encroachments by MMRDA," he added. The PIL has urged the court to set a December 31, 2006, deadline for the project. It is likely to come up before the court on Wednesday.
22 Jan, 2006 l 0132 hrs ISTl
TIMES NEWS NETWORKSMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
MUMBAI: The issue of overcrowding of suburban trains and delay in the quadrupling of tracks between Borivli and Virar has reached the Bombay HC. The Janhit Manch, an NGO has filed a PIL seeking the court's directions to Western Railways to expedite work on the project. As per the 2001 census, the population of Mira-Bhayander, Vasai, Nallasopara and Virar had shot up to around 10 lakh. Bhagwanji Rayani, the man behind the PIL, is himself a regular traveller on the line and has submitted photographs of overcrowded trains between Borivli and Virar. "The passengers hang from the doors, travel on the rooftop, stand in the gap between coaches and even on windows," said Rayani in his petition. "This is extremely dangerous, but they have no option," he added. Before filing the PIL, Rayani submitted an application under the Right to Information Act, details of which were used to corroborate the claims in the petition.
The public information officer of the railways, in response to Rayani's queries, said during peak hours 3,408 commuters travel in nine-car rakes, while 4,544 are packed into 12-car rakes. The actual capacity of the rakes are 852 and 1,136 commuters respectively. The project of quadrupling of the tracks began in 1997 under the aegis of the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation and is a part of the Mumbai Urban Infrastructural Project. "The encroachments along the tracks and the failure of the contractors to carry out work have held up the project," said the officer. "The work can be completed 18 months after the removal of the encroachments by MMRDA," he added. The PIL has urged the court to set a December 31, 2006, deadline for the project. It is likely to come up before the court on Wednesday.
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