Pathetic road conditions around SEEPZ!!
Sunday, 09-Jul-2000 13:10:58

I read with amusement the news item that the CM has returned from the US with a bag full of investment commitments for Maharashtra.

It is unbelievable that the Maharashtra Govt. expects funds for investment to come into Mumbai and other cities here
when the infrastructure in its premier city is so devastatingly messed up and crumbling.

I have ben a Mumbaikar for 26 years before moving to the US 6 years ago. I was recently in Mumbai as part of a team
from the US to evaluate potential facilities for setting up of our offshore facility with an investment of over 2 million dollars and Mumbai was our first option.

Spending a few days in North Mumbai, I was shocked to see the condition of roads and the resultant traffic around the
world famous establishments like IIT, Larsen and Toubro and SEEPZ in North Mumbai.

The roads were worse than village roads with conditions which could lead to fatal accidents. And there seems to be no
authority responsible for maintaining them. Hundreds of vehicles are caught daily in snarling traffic jams due to the bad
roads which must lead to untold loss in productivity and cost of vehicle maintainance.

It's a shame that thousands of workers at L&T who pride in building world class infrastructure, software engineers in
SEEPZ - contributors to the worlds new economy with highly rated skills to build information super highways and the
brilliant minds in IIT are subject to such torture everyday and bear it patiently without demanding immediate steps from
the concerned authorities for minimum infrastructure.

Its a pity that the State Govt. and local municipal corporations treats them such when the area must be one of the largest
contributors to the Govt. coffers in terms of direct and indirect Revenues and Taxes collected.

Needless to say we have decided to set-up our facility in Hyderabad and are sure many others would be considering
similar moves unless the State's powers-that-be wake up and take corrective action soon.

It would be better if the local Maharashtrian activists would focus on these issues and get them improved instead of
agitating on issues like Marathi name boards and jobs for Maharashtrians. At this rate of detioration of conditions there
would neither be many establishments in Mumbai nor jobs to make available in the near future.

Sincerely

Coomar