PM Modi and CM Kejriwal failed to retain ‘symbol of change’ image

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May 12, 2019

Big Test for Akhilesh Yadav, Maneka Gandhi, Jyotiraditya Scindia and more than anyone, it’s a challenge for BJP and Congress in Delhi. Raghav Chadha, the Aam Aadmi Party’s candidate from South Delhi, took a swipe at his rivals after casting his vote as the turn of the national capital came on Sunday to participate in the Lok Sabha elections in the sixth phase. Rahul Gandhi ditched his high-security vehicle and instead, chose to walk down from his home in central Delhi to the polling booth to cast his vote in the sixth round of the national elections. He is a voter in the high-profile New Delhi parliamentary seat. The fight is all between Congress and BJP whereas AAP is little irrelevant. The elections that took place for Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), BJP scored 37 per cent votes, AAP 26 per cent, and Congress 21 per cent. The stock of BJP is increasing and that of AAP is decreasing. Also, all is not well in the Aam Aadmi Party. Ashish and Ashutosh and many senior persons in the AAP have resigned. That force has gone missing, somewhat Arvind Kejriwal has become overboard now. Party men do not like the way Kejriwal is behaving. When the inside of the party is rotting, AAP cannot do any better. Also, it has not come out of the shock, the defeat of the party in 2017, even though BJP was expected to lose. Kejriwal is still struggling to come to terms with the public opinion which is against him. He is in the dreamland that he is the most preferred politician in Delhi. His association with Lalu Prasad Yadav and opposition leaders like Mamata, Tejaswi, etc. has placed him on the same pedestal.

AAP may win one or two seats this time. If it would have some alliance with Congress, it could get something better in Delhi. When AAP came to power in February 2015, a lot of people were surprised by the number of seats Arvind Kejriwal was able to clinch, despite the wave of Narendra Modi seemingly taking over the country. However, a few basic points make it clear how Kejriwal was able to sweep 67 seats. A vast majority of young people believed that Arvind Kejriwal is the real symbol for change in this country. Kejriwal’s incessant criticism of everyone in politics, his political posturing, and his constant self-righteousness: these are just some of the things that contributed to his image development as the ‘messiah’ leading an imminent shift from the dirty politics that has been conventionally practiced in this country. With such an image, he had all the young people who thought of the betterment of our country trudging behind him. Middle-class people were largely apathetic by BJP, because of the lack of a CM face. When BJP did come up with a face, it was too late. Moreover, it was felt as if Kiran Bedi just parachuted into the whole situation. In 2015, what people saw, was a headless BJP desperately looking for someone to be the face of their local campaign, they heavily relied on Modi’s goodwill and charm. Lower-middle class and people in the lower income category were swept by Kejriwal because of his promise of subsidies and freebies. Additionally, auto-drivers’ union also supported him at the time.

AAP’s election symbol (broom) also played a crucial role in getting them votes. There is a section of the society that has felt for a very long time that they do not have a voice. AAP’s party symbol subtly assured them that they do have a voice. Perceptions matter a lot in politics; Indira Gandhi’s ‘cow and calf’ symbol is a prime example. However, within five years, youth supporting each political party realised that they were made a tool to win elections but their leaders have personal agenda. Youth were shuffling in BJP, Congress, and AAP. The political parties lost their narratives, but here the Congress party started gaining against BJP by showing the mirror to Modi and his Congress Mukt Bharat jibe. Under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, Congress could win many major states by retaining power. At the same time, the so-called Modi waves settled to dust and they were losing it big time. In the recent past, PM Modi’s dramatic speeches and interviews did not go well with people. He became a joke of the time. Foreign magazine exposed all the political parties and their fate. The youths have already started realising the mistake they committed in 2014 and 2015. Modi as the PM and Arvind Kejriwal as the CM — both could not retain their image as a symbol of change; both were against the change. A few incidents are more likely to remain etched in the Gen X’s memory and therefore, they alter their voting in the next state elections. Kejriwal’s constant ranting against Modi on every step the latter takes. From Modi’s foreign trips to attire to his scheme of demonetisation, Kejriwal hasn’t spared one step taken by Modi from his senseless criticism. Even worse is the fact that more often than not, Kejriwal speaks without any proof at all and when someone questions him or his MLAs, all Kejriwal demands is proof. As a part of Indian politics, it is Kejriwal’s duty to know that his duties as the Chief Minister of Delhi take precedence over any sort of politics he wants to engage in. He took an oath to serve the people of Delhi, to abide by the law and to do everything in his capacity to make the lives of the citizens better. However, all you will ever see him doing is throwing allegations without proof or sympathising with people whose ideologies are questionable at best and ‘treason’ at the worst.

Modi has gone one step ahead of attacking all those dead members of opposition let it be Nehru, Indira or Rajeev. He forgot the barriers and dignity of his position. He used utmost low adjectives and expressions on a public forum, and meanwhile, Congress was talking about love and uniting people. The misplaced Congress was exercising to restore its lost glory. Whereas, BJP actually lost its magnificence by handpicking Sadhvi Pragya Singh like contenders, by keeping silent on crucial issues by not fulfilling 2014’s promises. This has shaken the faith of the people. Arvind Kejriwal, the man who claims to be a most virtuous politician, there ever was and will be, spends all his time to engage in politics, but doesn’t take out enough time to serve the people of the state he is the Chief Minister of. No doubt they brought some change in the education system and health sector, but that is not enough to retain power.

Looking at all of these factors, it is unlikely to predict who will come to power again. However, in 2020, Congress and BJP must have a face for their party and whoever is the CM candidate should not just be popular and acceptable; they should also get ample time to interact with people and build a rapport with them. Moreover, lastly, Congress and BJP must be ready to confront Kejriwal on issues that matter. Arvind Kejriwal will throw around serious allegations and that shouldn’t bring any contesting party to the back foot.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

BJP will discard Article 370 if voted back to power: Amit Shah

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Web Team

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May 12, 2019

The BJP President Amit Shah said on Sunday that Article 370 that gives special powers to Kashmir will be eliminated if PM Narendra Modi is voted back to power.

Amit Shah addressed his first rally at Chogan Maidan in Chamba district in Himachal Pradesh. Shah said that the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said that there should be another prime minister for the state whereas Congress in its manifesto declared it will review AFSPA in Kashmir and amend provisions of sedition law. All this indicated their mindset but if the BJP comes to power again and Modi becomes prime minister, Article 370 will be removed for sure.

The BJP chief was campaigning in support of Kangra BJP candidate Kishan Kapoor. Targeting the Congress on the issue of national security, he said that the Manmohan Singh led previous Congress government did nothing when Pakistan beheaded five India soldiers but under Modi, rule airstrikes were carried out in Balakot. Shah pointed out that Congress leader Sam Pitroda said instead of airstrikes, “we should talk to militants”.

Attckinging Congress’s Sam Pitroda, the BJP chief said, “If you ask a question regarding the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, the Congress says ‘hua to hua’. If you ask a question regarding the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and migration of Kashmiri Pandits, Congress says ‘hua to hua.’

Amit Shah said that first time, the opposition has not made corruption an issue as it has been “wiped out” during the Modi government. He mentioned various development works done in HP under the Modi government. Shah said, “Process is on to set up an international airport at Mandi. It will be done after the Modi government comes to power again at the Centre.”

Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur and veteran BJP leader Shanta Kumar were present in the rally. Congress has fielded sitting MLA Pawan Kajal against HP minister Kishan Kapoor from Kangra.

DB Schenker will double warehousing space to 7 mn sq ft in India

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Web Team

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May 12, 2019

European logistics major D B Schenker will double warehousing space to 7 million square feet in India in three years. A top official has said that after the implementation of GST, the logistic company sees growing demand from the corporate sector for such facilities.

D B Schenker ‘s country chief executive Vishal Sharma told PTI in an interaction, “ we are at 4 million square feet of space under management and will take it to 7 million square feet in three years. From an investments perspective, it will not be a large tab as much of this space will be owned by other developers and will be contracted on a longer-term basis.”

It can be noted that in the last few months, there has been a slew of announcements by realty developers about creating warehousing space. Sharma expressed happiness about getting the necessary space as required.

He said that the company had posted a revenue of above Rs 1,400 crore in 2017-18. It has been growing at rate of 18 per cent in the last three years. He said, “The next three years will see a doubling up of space per centre to 1.50 lakh sq ft as the warehousing activities have become more concentrated aided by GST.”

Vishal Sharma said, “The company will have about 25 warehouses, with 10-12 of them being bigger warehouses. The NCR, West and southern market comprising the Bengaluru-Chennai belt are the clusters which will see a bulk of development of this space.”

In North Sikkim 300 yaks starve to death due to heavy snowfall

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Web Team

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May 12, 2019

Heavy snowfall has been occurring in North Sikkim district for the last six months. Due to this the area is experiencing a shortage of fodder for animals. Subsequently, nearly 300 yaks have died due to starvation in the district. The North Sikkim District Magistrate Raj Yadav has confirmed the death of yaks.

He said that since December 2018 heavy snowfall occurred in Mukuthang and Yumthang regions. The district administration has taken several steps for the safety of people but many cattle died due to starvation. Yadav said on Saturday that while carcasses of around 250 yaks were found in Mukuthang region, 50 yak carcasses were found in Yumthang recently.

The District Magistrate said, “It appears that these dead yaks had got nothing to eat during the prolonged period of snowfall. After the reports of the death of yaks, the Animal Husbandry Department’s medical team has reached Mukuthang.”

He said that the team carried feed and fodder for the yaks which are still alive. The medical team will also examine the health of remaining yaks. Dead yaks belonged to 15 families in Mukuthang and 10 families in Yumthang. He announced that the affected families will get compensations on the basis of a report that is being prepared by the district administration and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

Firing in Gwadar an attack on Pak economy: PM Imran

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Web Team

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May 12, 2019

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday condemned a deadly attack on a luxury hotel in Gwadar in Balochistan. He said that the terror strike was an effort to deliberately destroy the country’s economic projects.

It is notable that on Saturday three heavily-armed militants stormed the Pearl Continental Hotel in the port city of Gwadar and a guard was killed in indiscriminate firing by the terrorists. All three attackers were killed by the security forces.

Pakistan PM Khan said, “Such attempts, especially in Balochistan, are an effort to damage our economic projects and prosperity. The government will not allow these agendas to succeed.” PM also appreciated the retaliatory action by a security guard and security forces in foiling greater loss to human lives. The banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack. Gwadar port is one of the focal points of the USD 50 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). China has invested heavily in Balochistan under the CPEC.

The Chinese embassy in Pakistan also condemned the attack on the hotel and expressed condolences to the families of the security guard who was killed and two security men who were injured.

According to reports the hotel, frequented by business as well as leisure travellers, is located on the Koh-e-Batil hill, south of West Bay on Fish Harbour road in Gwadar. All foreign and local guests staying at the hotel were safely evacuated.

It is survival of fittest in job market: Part II

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C K Subramaniam

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May 12, 2019

Management education plays a very important role in equipping undergraduates through functional expertise and value-based learning.

Huge competition exists for the few available posts and it is difficult to find high-paying ones. There will be more job seekers and the squeeze will go on for some more time. How to overcome the situation which is going from bad to worse? It is the survival of the fittest and better to accept a temporary job offer. No company will let go of competent people. Despite all your efforts still, you are without a job. Therefore it is necessary to make use of the time to upgrade your knowledge and try for the better job opportunity. It is true that Knowledge is Power.

In the coming months, many employers around in India will make do with the people they have, finding ways to contain costs and being very cautious about appointing new entrants. Temporary employment may take the front seat and permanent employment will be the last option for employers. It is time to keep the pain in check with a positive and purposeful approach. It is better to add one new competency every year and step up the level of proficiency in the existing scenario.

Better to make a chart and try to get the best training available to upgrade your knowledge. One has to measure the extent that one has developed on the competency achieved by getting proper feedback periodically from close quarters. It is time to move around the job market and achieve the best of the best to survive.

It is all those explicit and tacit commitments to live in a particular lifestyle that creates the survival-threat. Survival threat impacts the minds of people, who have even comfortable resources to live, without the need to earn even a single rupee for the next few years. However, it doesn’t create even a fraction of that risk perception in people, who are accustomed to live from today to tomorrow, with no clarity how the economic demands of life would be met, say, even next month.

Survival doesn’t mean the same to everyone. The Senior VP of a large organisation feels more threatened in his mind with survival risk, in tougher business times, than someone, who has barely enough economic means to run his family. Failure is not just an option, but something that doesn’t even look like a threat for most of the have-nots. However, the very fear of failure creates havoc in the minds of at least some well-accomplished people, who have more-than-enough savings as a fall-back. It is indeed the survival of the fittest.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Letters to the Editor: May 12, 2019

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Web Team

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May 12, 2019

Mother’s Day

In India, Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May. However, in other countries of the world, Mother’s Day is celebrated in an entirely different time of the year. However, whatever may be the date of the celebration, the spirit is the same everywhere. Everywhere in the world, mothers are respected for their extreme devotion towards their children.

And on Mother’s Day, children pay their humblest tribute to their mothers and also thank them for giving them birth and providing them with the best of care and upbringing.

The extent of the celebration varies greatly. In some countries, it is potentially offensive to one’s mother not to mark Mother’s Day. In others, it is a little-known festival. Motherhood is termed as the greatest gift of God to mankind and the creation will ever be indebted to its ‘mother’. The word ‘motherhood’ symbolises love and kindness, patience, sacrifice, tenderness and many other human behavioural expressions in human nature. It can be rightly said that these words could never have been in the English dictionary without ‘motherhood’.

Jubel D’Cruz

Ever-increasing disparity

The disparity between rich and poor, which is increasing day by day, needs to be curtailed to the extent possible. There must be an upper limit on salaries paid in the private sector. It is ridiculous that our top cricketers earning heavily through commercial advertisements get an annual salary of up to Rs 7 crores apart from match-money, award-money, and lifetime heavy pension.

Upper salary-limit in private sector can be fixed as twice the maximum salary fixed for bureaucrats. If private organisations wish to pay extra, then all such incentives over and above fixed maximum salary may attract Goods and service Tax GST in a slab of 18 per cent like for others in service-sector.

Upper salary-limit and service-conditions including post-retirement benefits fixed by the Pay Commission should be applicable also for persons holding top-most posts in legislature and judiciary like President, Vice President, state-Governors, judges and Chief Justices of Supreme Court and High Courts with the only exception of government-accommodation and secretarial staff for former-President of India but only in New Delhi.

There is no logic of continuing with a pension to Parliamentarians and judges when the system has since been abolished for retired government-servants. It is highly unjustified that Supreme Court judges have gifted themselves with life-time domestic-help at public-expense not only for themselves but also for their spouses.

Madhu Agrawal

Beware of New Vehicle thieves

New vehicles on the road are prone to be stolen by miscreants. People got for the purchase on an auspicious day and the vehicle thieves are on the run to make hay when the sun shines. It is time to take all the precautions measures before bringing your vehicle put on the road. Let us take precaution and try to avoid stealing of vehicles. One can use the following: Anti-theft Alarm, Steering Wheel Lock, Steering Column Lock, Break Lock, Tire Lock, Smart Key, and the Starter, Ignition, fuel disabler. Don’t purchase a stolen vehicle. Use common sense. Any second-hand vehicle offered for the cost which is much less than the existing market price must be a stolen one and you may end up losing your money if the police recover the stolen vehicle from for it is a stolen one. Prevention is better than cure. So take all the precautions before parking your vehicles.

Jayanthy Subramaniam

Dr. Rathin Roy’s ‘middle-income trap’ prediction

India’s celebrated top economist Dr. Rathin Roy has sounded an alarm by predicting a middle-income trap for the Indian economy and this could have serious repercussions for our nation in the coming decade. Early signs of whatever Dr. Roy has predicted are clearly visible as the consumption story is on the downtrend which can be seen from the corporate results which auto majors and other consumer durable goods companies have posted. Rising inflation, falling income, and unemployment would trigger whatever the economist has predicted. This would result in crime rates and violence incidents going up which could have a cascading effect on the development of our country.

PM Modi is lucky to have men like Dr. Rathin Roy in his Economic Advisory Council and it is now up to the Prime Minister to sit with Dr. Roy and not just analyse his prediction but work out a solution that would lessen the economic damage which it might have on the long term for India. A stitch in time saves nine and PM Modi should take Dr. Roy’s prediction seriously so that the ‘Doomsday’ scenario can be altered in the coming years.

S.N.Kabra

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Coastal road won’t ease Mumbai’s traffic woes

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Suraj Chandran

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May 12, 2019

Several citizen activists and NGOs have come forward to oppose the Coastal Road Project which will connect Marine Drive to Kandivali. The ambitious project has been garnering headlines for all the wrong reasons. Residents say that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has not taken them into confidence before going ahead with the project. How can the civic body give the nod for the project without studying the environmental consequence which the city has to face due to the project?

Activists want the Rs 13,000 crore road-project to be scrapped. According to them the project will only benefit private car owners and will not help in easing traffic woes of the metropolis. They wanted the government to pay more attention towards mass transportation system which is economical and environment-friendly. Citizens are unhappy with the project as BMC has not even held a single public consultation on the road. Residents say that there is no transparency in the implementation of the project. They are against the reclamation of the coastal land for the project. According to them, the green spaces created will be only 12 per cent of the reclaimed land.

Reclamation work has been going without seeking environmental clearance. Coastal Regulation Zone clearance conditions too have been violated. Residents were trying to reach the BMC but the civic body lacks interest in engaging citizens. Citizens also raised questions about how coastal road will help the city when its access roads are already congested. They wanted the civic body to pay attention to removing traffic bottlenecks in the city. Instead of building the expensive coastal road project residents want the civic body to construct better schools and hospitals.

The activists also filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that the project requires an environmental clearance under the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2016 which is lacking. On April 11, Bombay High Court had listed petitions of activists and fishermen community for hearing on April 23. The civic body had verbally assured that no new reclamation would take place until next day to which the activist’s counsel said that there should be a written order for the status quo to be maintained on reclamation.

Image Courtesy: Urban-Hub.com

The estimated cost of the project has increased from Rs 222 crore per km freeway in 2011 to Rs 1,316 per km for the 10 km of its southern section. If the project sees the light of the day it will go on to become the most expensive project in the city. The cost per kilometer for moving one commuter on the road works out to 25 times more than that of the metro. Moreover, users will have to pay the toll for using the coastal road. The work on the coastal road started in October last year and is expected to be completed within four years. Since Mumbai is facing space crunch land will have to be reclaimed from the sea. The city has one of the lowest per capita of open spaces in the world. The project also threatens to destroy the livelihood of fishermen in the city as many of them have come forward to protest against it.

Ownership of cars is growing at an unprecedented rate in the city and it is increasing at 9.8 per cent a year from 2014 to 2018. Due to the rise in vehicular population, the city is witnessing massive traffic jams. In 1998 the share of public trips (buses and trains) was 78 per cent while that of personal vehicles (cars, auto) was 22 per cent. But in 2018 the share of public trips has declined to 61 per cent while that of private trips have increased to 39 per cent. This is not good news for a city like Mumbai which is one of the overpopulated cities of the world facing space crunch.

The Supreme Court modified order of the Bombay High Court and permitted contractors Larsen & Toubro, HCC-HDC joint venture and other agencies to go ahead with the work but an added condition that they cannot commence fresh works in any new location. The apex court also asked the high court to hear a bunch of petitions against the project on June 3 or at any date immediately. The SC has given nod to contractors to go ahead with the project but at their own risk. Finally, Mumbai needs an effective public transport system to serve its increasing population.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

BMC engineers warned Indefinite Strike

By

Rajesh Choudhary

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May 10, 2019

After Shitlaprada O Kori, a retired Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Chief Engineer, got arrested in the CSMT bridge collapse case, all engineers of BMC have gone on a mass leave from May 9 for the next 15 days. It is worth mentioning that seven people lost their lives while 36 were left injured due to the CSMT bridge collapse on March 14, 2019.

The engineers’ union believes that the authorities cannot arrest anyone until the actual reason for the bridge collapse is known. In protest with the arrest of engineers, other BMC engineers are on mass leave. Sainath Rajadhyaksha, the Executive President of BMC Engineers’ Union told Afternoon Voice, “Everyone suddenly took this decision of going on mass leave. Before arresting anyone, his/her guilt should be proved. At the same time, various factors must be taken into consideration.” Asking why the workers are being targeted under media pressure, he further said, “We all want justice to our peers.” When asked how long this strike will continue, he stated, “So far for 15 days; if the justice is not delivered, we might call for an indefinite strike.” Forty-two engineers have collectively gone on mass leave for 15 days.

This, in turn, may affect the construction and repair work of all the bridges in Mumbai, which is in full swing these days. The engineers had also met the Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta at Shirodkar School in Parel to express their unhappiness. Sainath Rajadhyaksha said, “We met the Commissioner and expressed our concerns over Kori’s arrest. We have received a positive response from him.”

When asked about the mass leave by the BMC engineers, Maharashtra BJP Spokesperson Avdhut Wagh said, “There is no such law which prohibits Police from arresting anybody before completion of the inquiry. Police can arrest any suspect for the inquiry. The arrest of the retired Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief engineer Shitlaprada O Kori does not suggest that he is guilty in this case. The ongoing inquiry might need his presence.”

He went on saying, “Everybody should cooperate with the Inquiry Commission, Inquiry Committee, police and administration in Himalaya Foot Over Bridge case. Moreover, people should not create any obstacle in the inquiry. No injustice will be done to anybody, our system (BMC administration and the state government) will not allow it.”

The retired chief engineer with the bridges department Kori was in-charge of the department until he retired in December last year. He was arrested on charges of negligence and, has been sent to police custody till May 10. This is the fourth arrest in the case. Sainath Rajadhyaksha said, “We are undergoing a lot of stress. All this should stop, because tomorrow, any engineer could be arrested in any case without any proof.”

Meanwhile, the BMC suspended four officials on the basis of the initial investigation report after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered a high-level inquiry into the same. Mumbai Police also arrested the structural auditor of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Neeraj Kumar Desai, who apparently declared the Himalaya Foot Overbridge (FOB) safe for use in his audit report. Initially, the police had detained Desai for investigation but later on arrested the structural auditor, too. Police have also recorded the statements of Additional BMC Commissioner Sanjay Darde along with other officials. Desai’s company had reportedly conducted a structural audit of the collapsed bridge.

According to the reports, Sukhdev Kashid, General Secretary, Municipal Mazdoor Union, said that there is a process within the BMC to investigate matters. “Is the Municipal Commissioner not competent enough that the police have to take matters into their own hands? Does the State government want to divert attention from other things by doing this arrest? We will fight this legally.” Kashid also alleged, “The real culprits are being protected in the BMC.”

It is notable that Himalaya Bridge was supposed to get repaired in 2013-14. The foot over-bridge, which connects Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to BT Lane, had crashed on March 14.

Who is accountable for Mumbai’s crumbling infrastructure?

By

Vaidehi Taman

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May 10, 2019

Six railway bridges have fallen in the last one and a half years in Mumbai but the government is stirring everything in the blame game. The bridge connecting the CSMT with the B.T. Lane near The Times of India Building and the Anjuman-e-Islam School was used by thousands of daily commuters rushing to catch the local trains on Central Railway and the Harbour Line. On March 14, a large part of the bridge came down and in this mishap, six people lost their lives and 33 were injured. Police registered cases against Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Indian Railway officials charging them with culpable homicide. The Mumbai Police arrested the structural auditor of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Neeraj Kumar Desai, who apparently declared the Himalaya foot overbridge (FOB) safe for use in his audit report. His company had reportedly conducted a structural audit of the collapsed bridge. In protest with the arrest of engineers, other BMC engineers went on a mass leave from, May 9 for the next 15 days. The BMC authorities do not want to accept the fact that they are equally responsible for mishaps.

Six railway bridge accidents in two years – three of them resulting in deaths – have angered Mumbai about the state of its civic structure, the misery and fury over administrative negligence echoed on social media. A portion of a foot overbridge at the city’s busy Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway station collapsed killing six and injuring 33. The bridge was three decades old and had reportedly been declared fit for use in an audit carried out by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation just six months ago. After the collapse, a blame game has begun between the Railways and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, with each claiming the other was responsible for maintaining the bridge. Who should be blamed, the government agencies, the contractors or the BMC?

People are dying, accidents are happening, the PM is expanding his vocal cords and screaming about development and smart cities, bullet trains, and metro trains, but we do not have properly audited bridges in the city. No one has ever faced lawsuits over the collapse of these bridges. Moreover, any legal liability will depend on the results of ongoing investigations into the causes of the collapse, and it’s still too early to know who, if anyone, may be legally responsible for the disaster. Investigators will need to find out exactly what caused the collapse if it could have been prevented and who may have known the bridge could be dangerous. There has to be a thorough investigation to find out who’s at fault. The BMC has the primary responsibility for inspecting and maintaining the bridge, but their audits have announced that the bridges are safe to commute and they breakdown. However, they may not have to answer to their approach and corruptions. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis seeks inquiry and fulfills his duty by paying compensations.

This is not the first bridge that collapsed and inquiry is set, what happened to the previous bridges that collapsed and the inquiry conducted? If those inquiries and audits were done in time, perhaps such accidents could have been avoided.

Even earlier, the section of the Gokhale Bridge at the Andheri station in Mumbai collapsed following hours of unabated rain. The collapse of the bridge on SV road in the city, which connects Andheri East and Andheri West station, left at least five people injured. One of the injured, a woman named Asmita Katkar (35), succumbed to her injuries four days later at Mumbai’s RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital. A probe by the Commissioner of Railway Safety termed six Western Railway officials and the BMC as responsible for the incident. However, we can see none of them were booked or punished for negligence.

On October 15, 2017, one person sustained injuries after stairs of a foot-over bridge near Charni Road railway station crumbled. On September 29, 2017, at least 23 people were killed and 39 others were injured after a stampede broke out at the suburban Elphinstone Road railway station pedestrian bridge. The incident took place between the Parel railway station and Elphinstone Road railway station.

A probe panel, headed by Western Railway chief security officer, in its report to Western Railway General Manager Anil Kumar, said that the incident happened because of heavy rain, but none was blamed. How can rains collapse any structure?

On December 13, 2015, nine people were injured when a bridge collapsed in the suburban Malad area of Mumbai. The bridge connected Evershine Nagar in Malad to Malvani. Maharashtra accounted for the second-highest number of deaths (4,237) due to structural collapses between 2001 and 2015, according to the National Crime Records Bureau’s 2016 report. In total, at least 38,363 people lost their lives in as many as 37,514 incidents of the collapse of various structures during this period across the country. The types of structural collapses that the data records include: bridges, commercial buildings, dams, residential buildings, and others. As per the reports as many as 1,217 people died in incidents of bridge collapses throughout the country in these 15 years. The governments came and gone, political parties changed in power, let it be BJP or Congress its people who lost their lives and politicians lost their credibility by blaming each other. The infrastructure especially these overhead bridges are so old and smutty and the crowd in Mumbai growing by the day, this I fear will keep happening and poor Mumbaikars have no other option but to commute. Every such act of negligence by the government and civic authorities should be counted as state-sponsored murder of its citizens which makes one feel so angry and helpless. We use the local train and these stations daily and it’s impossible now to not feel paranoid.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)