Rs 20 Cr spent on roads in APMC market, Navi Mumbai goes down the drain

Work was completed last December: transporters and traders allege corruption. Officials cannot see potholes

@vipulbv

Mumbai: The Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC), Vashi, Navi Mumbai spent Rs. 20 crore on two by-lanes and gutters in its market yard at Navi Mumbai, have apparently gone down the drain.

Transporters and traders at the APMC Vashi, the country’s second-largest agricultural market, are alleging corruption as the two roads as the road topping has washed away washed off in a single rain. On the other hand, APMC Secretary Anil Chavan in defence argued that the condition of APMC market was better than in previous years, despite heavy rainfall this year.

Muralidhar Pawar, president of The Retail Transport Association, which operates in the APMC market, told thenews21 that transporters were facing problems due to poor road conditions in the market. Earlier, transporters demanded that the market be kept open on a daily basis, but now it does not seem possible to do so due to the condition of the market roads. The APMC cannot construct roads that can withstand outstation trucks with net weight of 10 tonnes and material of 50 tonnes, which makes a single lorry weigh 60 tones.

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Another transporter, Purshottam Punjani alleged that there was widespread corruption in the APMC market. The condition of the road constructed at a cost of Rs 20 crore has deteriorated only in one rain. Even though so much work has been done on the sewers, market gets flooded in the monsoon and access roads to many shops are closed. The road repairs were completed in December last year. Not even a year has passed by and the road has not been repaired. Despite paying crores of Rupees traders bemoan that they do not get any facilities.

National Executive Member Kirti Rana of the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) slammed the APMC administration, saying that the new governing body of the APMC has been elected, but the charge to the new body has not yet been handed over. At present the administration is now in the hands of government officials. There is apparent evidence of corruption in the APMC, which charges crores of Rupees from traders through APMC cess, is seen from the condition of roads and flooding in Navi Mumbai APMC market.

The traders are planning to start a movement against such a rogue administration. An estimated Rs 500 crore has been spent by APMC in the name of infrastructure development in the last six years and yet no such work is visible at present.

On the other hand, when APMC’s Shingade, who is in charge of the Danabandar (Grain market) by-lanes, was asked about the condition of the market, he denied having any complaint about the road or water logging problem.

When asked about the condition of internal roads and water logging, APMC secretary Anil Chavan remarked “I have not received any complaints of potholes. We recently laid the roads, they are of good quality. it is not a matter of concern. Market witnessed heavy to very heavy rains in last few days so some areas may have been flooded.