While chief minister ViIasrao Deshmukh is eager to transform Mumbai into the IT capital of India, the industry bigwigs here are still struggling for a basic infrastructural network. However, the good news is that the state government has finally taken the flrst step in this direction by taking up the issue of bad roads in Mumbai’s IT hub – the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation’s (MIDC) SEEPZ area In Andheri (East).

Despite the presence of several top MNCs and IT companies, the roads in this seven- kilometre industrial township are a nightmare for the motorists as well as pedestrians.

Incidentally, since 1987, there was a tussle going on between the MIDC and BMG over who should look after the maintenance of roads in the area. But now, it’s been learnt that in a dear directive, the state chief secretary, Arun Bongirwar has asked the BMC to undertake the road work urgently to avoid further embarrassment to the government. Recently, Bongirwar convened a meeting of MIDC chief Jayant Kawle and BMC’s additonal commissioner Gautam Chatterjee, to thrash out the issue. But, the BMC is yet to begin the process of issuing tenders for building new roads. The estimated cost of road upgradation is likely to be about Rs 40 crore.

Last year, when protests over the pothole-littered roads started pouring In, the additional municipal commissioner GS Gill visited the township for an inspection. However, nothing concrete came out of it.In the last couple of months, several senior officials of major software companies like Mastek, Datamatics, Novell, CMC, and others which earn huge foreign exchange’ for the government, and have offices n the area, complained to municipal commissioner V Ranganathan about the sorry state of roads. However, there was no response from the authorities.

When Apurva Patel, general secretaiy, MLDC Plot Owners Association mentioned that despite paying heavy taxes, people were facing hardships due to the bad roads, the BMC’s assistant assessor of K ward (E), told him that "services rendered to the area and the faxes paid by the people are not co-related."

The trauma of bad roads is faced by hapless Mumbaikars in other areas of the city too. Over one akh motorists, passing through the Western Express Highway, face a tough time due to the stalled Andheri flyover. Though the Mumbai High Court had directed Jog Engineering to start the work on July 28, the bosses in Mantralaya are still unsure about the amount to be paid to the builder on the work completed so far. MB Patil, secretary (roads) of PWD told Bombay Times, "We are studying the court order. It will take some more time to take a decision in this regard." Meanwhile, another senior bureaucrat opined that the HG order in the jog matter was a bit ambiguous since it did not mention how much land under the flyover would be allowed for commercial purposes. The order also failed to specify the amount to be paid to the builder. So the government is waiting for the final order from the court on August 30," he added.

On his part, Madhav jog, chairman of Jog Engineering, has made it clear that unless the amount was paid, he would not commence the work.

Meanwhile, the BMC is planning to temporarily fill in all the potholes on the city roads for the upcoming Ganesh festival. As it’s known, Narayan Rane, leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly, has threatened to launch an agitation if roads leading to Konkan were not repaired before Ganapati. "I have taken stock of the situation and will take definite steps to improve the situation," asaured municpal commissioner V Ranganathan.