Battered roads, lack of streetlights, parking pains rock BMC meeting

Bhopal: Intense debates erupted during the Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) council meeting on Friday, with contentious discussions over streetlight management, road quality, and premium parking operations dominating the agenda. Corporators from both the ruling BJP and Congress demanded accountability from the administration. In a significant move, the council unanimously passed a censure motion against BMC additional commissioner Nidhi Singh, recommending her services be returned to the state govt. The motion was supported by mayor Malti Rai. Concerns were raised over violations by the premium parking operator, particularly in the New Market area. Corporator Pappu Vilas from Ward 34 criticised the involvement of Akhtar Enterprises, alleging the company benefited from favorable terms while a multi-level parking facility in the area remains unused. "The corporation spent crores on building the multi-level parking, yet it lies vacant while Akhtar Enterprises is favored," Vilas said, accusing officials of compromising terms to benefit the company. Congress corporator Mohammed Sarwar raised allegations of corruption in road construction, accusing engineers of using diesel instead of asphalt and taking a 10% commission. He highlighted deteriorating roads despite guarantee periods, referencing a past instance where the BMC commissioner was dismissed under similar circumstances. The meeting saw a rare show of unity, with corporators from both BJP and Congress criticising delays in meetings with BMC commissioner Harendra Narayan. Allegations of long wait times and required slips further fueled discontent among members. The session, which lasted over four hours, addressed city improvement plans, including the construction of entry gates at nine locations, a 25-acre cowshed for stray cattle, and the development of a garden at Lal Ghati intersection with a budget of ₹7 crore. Corporators take on officials "The corporation officials should not underestimate the council," said the BMC corporator as they aligned across party lines accusing BMC officials of mismanagement and undermining elected corporators. Bhopal Mayor Malti Rai supported the motion and initiated the process of returning Nidhi Singh's services to the state government. The corporators specifically targeted BMC additional commissioner Nidhi Singh, BMC electrical wing engineer Ashish Srivastava, and Pawan Mehra with their allegations. The censure motion against Nidhi Singh marks a significant action after years without such a measure. According to BMC sources, the power to revert Singh to the state government lies with UADD and BMC commissioner's recommendation. Off the record, BMC officials admit toeing with BMC corporators demand would set an unwelcome precedent. BMC press release for the BMC council proceedings was also delayed. Congress corporators protested the lack of street lighting in most city areas. They claim this issue has persisted for several days and that their complaints to officials are being ignored. Specifically, they allege that electrical department officials Ashish Srivastava and Pawan Mehra were unresponsive to their calls. Corporators have publicly demonstrated their frustration by waving placards and chanting slogans against Srivastava during a council meeting.
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