From: [email protected]
To:
City of A- joy
Civic authority commissioner Ajoy Mehta is bullish on the city and says
citizens have no need to despair, as he talks straight to a charged audience on
all matters Mumbai
AN eager and excited audience played the waiting game at a recent Meet Your BMC
Commissioner Mr Ajoy Mehta interactive meet, held at the Indian Merchants
Chamber building, Walchand Hirachand Hall at Churchgate. The meet took place on
Wednesday, July 15 evening. The meet was to start at 5 pm but there was not
sign of the commissioner till past 6.30 pm.
Dilip Piramal, president IMC said to the restive audience that the Commissioner
would most probably not have time to answer too many questions as he would be
late, he expedited the process asking people to cite their questions and wrote
them down so that relevant, concise questions could be put to the Commissioner.
Some of the concerns centred around potholes, one gent said that storm water
drains have disappeared at Malabar Hill and they should be restored, another
stated that there should be proper sewage lines in slums and yet another
expressed concern over the dilapidated condition of a BMC school in Jogeshwari
which is now defunct and overrun by unsavoury activities. Piramal had to
repeatedly tell people to keep their questions to the point, and not make
meaningless remarks.
Sporadically, those listening were shown a mobile phone and told that the IMC
has just received a message from Mehta, “ He should be here in 10 minutes.”
Several people started exiting the hall by 6.15 pm and the once full house now
had several empty chairs.
Apologies, first up Finally, at approximately 6. 40 pm, there was a flurry of
press flashbulbs, and in strode Ajoy Mehta, to excited murmurs of, “ he’s come,
he’s arrived.” Mehta first up, apologized profusely for the delay. “ I
apologize. It is not in my nature to be late. First, I was caught up because
the Assembly Session is on and then, we had a long meeting because of the
upcoming Ganeshotsav festival.
Please forgive me,” he said, to some surprised looks from people who may not
have expected humility from the chief. Mehta brushed away formalities quickly
like introductions and the usual thanks- for- coming address.
“ I will come to the issue, straightaway, instead of droning on and on. There
is primarily a three- pronged approach to the BMC. First, is the short term
work which we have to do immediately which is things like, ensuring clean water
and pothole free roads. Longterm issues would be those like the Coastal Road,
providing housing and hospitals. Yet a third prong is that when a person walks
into the Corporation he should have a delightful experience.” ( there were a
few snorts of disbelief at this).
The erudite Mehta though did not take notice and elaborated, “ a person should
not be horrified at his Corporation experience stating: yeh kya hai ?” At this,
then, the Commissioner stopped his address and said that, “ I will now request
you for questions, comments, advice so that I can answer or at least apologize
for shortcomings.” Housing and health By now, several people in the audience
who seemed turbocharged on several issues, seemed to be taken aback at this
attitude.
They had automatically tempered their allegations now into questions.
When asked about the Development Plan or DC for Mumbai, Mehta stated, “ this is
a very important planning exercise.
First, we have to correct what are known as errors apparent. Like the JJ School
of Art being called a Veterinary Hospital. That is an error apparent. Then,
there are policy issues like Mumbai’s 24 per cent growth in the 90s to 2000
which seems to have now levelled of at 4 per cent, which is a good sign. The
growth though has left us with a huge housing backlog.
The question now is that do we give more FSI and make the city denser? Or do we
shift people towards Thane and Panvel. If we do the latter we need new modes of
transport.” A question came up about public health and Mehta stated quite
proudly that they do have a large amount of tertiary medical care facilities,
but " there is a lot of overwork because of the staggering amount of patients."
He also expressed concern about " the disappearance of the family physician as
the first step in medical care and detection. Take for instance, leptospirosis.
If it is detected very early, there is a simple antibiotic as cure. When late,
though, or not detected, it becomes a very complicated case." Candour is key
Mehta was refreshingly candid when it comes to education saying that, “
Unfortunately, our schools are not as popular as private schools. Today, there
is so much aspiration and people are looking at whether schools can satisfy
aspirational needs.” As several listeners nodded to this, Mehta elaborated that
his family had visited a school in the UK for admission for his son. “ The
school janitor opened the door and then called the principal. He told the
principal, ‘ your client Mr. Mehta is here for his appointment'. The parent is
a client over there because education is a service that they are providing."
There was a smattering of applause after this.
Next up was clean water supply and Mehta said that the BMC was supplying clean
water as the source of the water are the lakes that are fed by rain. “ The
problem occurs because the pipelines that deliver the water into your taps are
at least 50 to 60 years old. Either we need to change the pipelines or the
route of the pipelines that deliver this water.” Where there is Mumbai there is
traffic and Mehta was asked the inevitable question about traffic management
which he said was the job of the traffic police but did add that the Coastal
Highway would “ open up a lot of green spaces.” Mehta was strong and
straightforward when it came to the sea.
He said, “ Right now, 40 per cent of our sewage is going into the sea,
untreated. Mumbai’s strength is the sea and we have messed it up.” He added
that authorities are working on adding sewage treatment plants.
He was asked about waste segregation and he said that, “ people here do not
segregate waste, unlike that in Western countries, where they do that by
default.” As the talk wound down, it was evident that Mehta was winning some if
not all hearts and minds with his candour, more than anything else. In fact, he
said, “ Somehow, we have forgotten the art of speaking the truth and we have
learnt the art of skirting the issue.” A session in the monsoon without the
mention of potholes, is like a cocktail without the swizzle stick.
So, the inevitable potholes and road contractors point was brought up to which
Mehta stated, “ these are manifestations. We have to work within the system and
sort out the tendering system, first.” Work with us He made an appeal to
citizens to work with him as stakeholders of the city. “ I need your help and
support.
All ward officers are not bad.
In every profession, every workplace there may be 1 per cent of bad persons but
there are others that are good,” he said in response to a gentleman's
observation that, “ ward officers must come out of their ivory towers and walk
on our footpaths.” As the clock ticked close to 7.30 pm, Mehta stated, “ There
are problems but let us not despair. I am very hopeful and you should be too.”
As a postscript a man shouted even as the meeting was called to a close, “ What
is your policy on illegal structures?” Mehta simply replied poker- faced, “
Policy? They must go,” to laughter. Go, was the operative word as the audience
got ready to depart.There were several who rushed to the dais with their mobile
phones, to take the new rage, a selfie with the civic commissioner, even as he
tried to exit politely.
One photooooo please sir, aaho kasa kai Mumbaaai.
