Thursday, December 10, 2009

Mla Sandeep Naik Makes His Debut By Taking Up The Issue Of Gutkha In State Assembly

MLA Sandeep Naik made his debut at the winter session of the state assembly by taking up the issue of gutka in the state.

It maybe recalled that a raid was recently conducted by the Food and Drugs department at Vashi in which huge amount of gutkha, adulterated with magnesium carbonate along with adulterated tea was seized. Consuming Gutkha can be injurious to health as this may lead to dangerous disease like cancer, while tea is a common beverage of people. This issue was taken up by Airoli MLA Sandeep Naik in the recently held winter session of the state assembly. His concerns were taken cognizance by the State Minister for Food and Drug department Ramesh Bagwe. In the state assembly when this issue was taken up by MLA Sandeep Naik in the question hour session, Ramesh Bagwe assured that the racket of adulteration will be busted. He further informed that in the case, one has been arrested and action will be taken under the Food Adulteration Prohibition Act.

Mla Sandeep Naik Orders Administration To Make Playgrounds With Private Schools Available For Public Utility

In the weekly Standing Committee meeting, the subject of bettering conditions of all city playgrounds was taken up by members. Chairman of the committee MLA Sandeep Naik called for better planning and conduct of these sports.

During the weekly Standing Committee meet, member Sudhakar Sonawne in a motion of objection questioned why was NMMC schools sports being organized on playgrounds that were not developed and were not fit for students to play any sport. Sudhakar Sonawane was referring to the regional sports meet of NMMC schools that were organized in a private playground. He alleged that the playground in question has full of wild growth of shrubs at several places and there were no sheds for protection from the scorching sun leading to the conduct of sports meet in very inhuman condition. Standing Committee Chairman Sandeep Naik however pointed out that at times conducting sports meets on such undeveloped grounds underlines the need and draws attention of developing these grounds. He called for better planning and conduct of these sports.

Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nahata clarified that earlier the corporation had no sports officer. He added that he had initiated the appointment of a sports officer and all the grounds have been surveyed and a report submitted, according to which each ground will be taken up for development subject to availability of funds. The question is “why is NMMC organizing sports a private ground when NMMC has invested over Rss 3 Crores in the construction of its own stadium in CBD Belapur?” Shivram Patil drew attention to grabbing of playground land by educational institutes in the city. He called upon NMMC to take over these lands and develop the same to make it accessible to children of the city. MLA Sandeep Naik called upon the Commissioner to prepare a status report of playgrounds adjoining educational institutes and take over the same fro public utility. He said that in the last few years, there have been a rise in the number of sports tournaments being organized in the city, which is a good sign and added that there was a need to make someone accountable in this department.

Incidentally almost all lands adjoining private schools in the city are taken over by leaders and relatives of past and present legislators or ministers in the ruling Congress-NCP government, which would blunt the local municipal body’s intentions. Speaking to the media later, MLA Sandeep Naik reiterated his take on the subject.

Friday, November 27, 2009

Standing Committee Chairman Sandeep Naik Orders Administration To Issue No More Property Tax Chalans

Big Jolt To Sitting Nmmc Corporators – Standing Committee Chairman Orders Administration To Issue No More Property Tax Chalans Or Water Connections To Illegal Hutments
The week’s Standing Committee meet saw MLA and Chairman of the meeting Sandeep Naik passing a rather significant order to the administration. He has asked Commissioner Vijay Nahata to completely stop issuing property tax chalans to illegal settlements and do not give water connections to any hutments post his orders.

This is Standing Committee Chairman of NMMC and MLA Sandeep Naik not just holding the administration responsible for rise in encroachments but giving a diktat that can have far reaching implications on the local politicians counting on increasing slum hutments before municipal elections 2010 to secure their victory. The Chairman has said that if NMMC officials had not given water connection or property tax chalans to encroachments, the same could have been controlled. And in order to control them, the chairman passed the historic order banning the administration from issuing any property tax chalan or giving any water connections to illegal hutments and encroachments in Navi Mumbai. The subject was taken up by Shivram Patil during the weekly Standing Committee Meet. It was during this debate, that the Chairman passed this order. Speaking to the media later, MLA Sandeep Naik said that while Navi Mumbai was better off in comparison to neighboring city Mumbai, there still was a need to form a high power committee that would have representatives of all government bodies have a stake in Navi Mumbai.

As far as the continuous rise in encroachment and illegal hutments are concerned, MLA Sandeep Naik said that constructing a compound wall in such areas was the only solution. The Chairman also made some significant and easy-to-follow suggestions to Commissioner Vijay Nahata. He said that there was a need to make ward officers accountable in every ward and those wards that registered less number of increase in encroachments should be rewarded or promoted and inefficient ward officers could even be demoted. If the NMMC administration practices and follows the diktat and suggestions of the Chairman in true spirit, it could definitely regulate the increasing encroachments in the city. But the “if” here is a big one as municipal elections are round the corner and this is peak time for multiplication of illegal hutments by local corporators to secure their seats in Municipal Elections 2010. And this includes the ruling NCP corporators of NMMC as well.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Helpline Started By NMMC To Curb Malaria

After the NMMC Standing Committee Chairman Sandeep Naik directed the administration to conduct special drives to curb the spread of malaria and dengue, NMMC has started its preparations, said DMC of Public and Sanitation department Babasaheb Rajale.

Under its various drives to control malaria and dengue, NMMC has started a helpline number 27572250 where citizens can report cases of these diseases. With the unexpected rains, NMMC Standing Committee Chairman Sandeep Naik had asked the administration to initiate drives between Nov 15 to Dec 15 to control the spread of malaria and dengue. Under this, the department has also started additional fumigation activities. NMMC has also deployed 261 workers for its fogging activities.

Rising cases of malaria has definitely become a concern for the administration as this year, 1,637 cases of malaria have been reported.

Mla Sandeep Naik Inspects Quality Of Road At Thane Belapur Road

MLA Sandeep Naik paid a visit to inspect the work going on, on the Thane Belapur Road concretization work.

MLA Sandeep Naik visited the ongoing work at the Thane Belapur road to inspect the quality of work being done and the pace at which it was being done. Sandeep Naik’s visit started from Thane near Mukund Company. Sandeep Naik was accompanied by NMMC City Engineer Mohan Dagaonkar along with other NMMC officials. Sandeep Naik along with the officials walked down the road stretch crossing Airoli, Chinchpada, Ghansoli, Koperkhairane and then lastly at Mahape. During his visit, Sandeep Naik informed to the media that while the construction work of a three lane road in progress along with construction of flyovers, it was found that the work of moving very slowly. He said that paid a visit to check if the administration was having any obstacles in completing their work.

Sandeep Naik further inspected the potholes and patches and if it was duly filled by the contractor. He insisted that to ensure that quality work of being done, inspection was necessary. Speaking on maintaining the quality of roadwork being done, Sandeep Naik said that a third party inspection would also be invited. He added that they have proposed footover bridges for commuters who presently have no option to cross roads amidst heavy traffic to reach MIDC.