'Mumbai can't take more population from outside'

Maharashtra Minister of State for Urban Development Bhaskar Jadhav on Friday called for a consensus among all political parties to check migration to Mumbai.

"Even though anybody is free to live and work in any part of the country in a democratic set up, this cannot be allowed at the cost of violating rules and regulations," Jadhav said, replying to a debate on a non-official resolution moved by BJP member Sardar Tara Singh in the state Assembly on the stress on Mumbai's existing infrastructure due to burgeoning population and migration.

"While discussing how to stop the migration, we need to keep aside regional and communal bias and take decisions for the betterment of our city which is our home," he said.

"Even though the State government is doing its best to upgrade infrastructure and improve basic amenities in the megapolis, the fact is Mumbai is overburdened and cannot take more population from outside," Jadhav said.

The minister said several illegal water pipeline connections have been disconnected in the city in the past one year.

"The city has not been able to provide water to all citizens in the last few years. We are now constructing four reservoirs which will take a few years to be completed. Desalination of sea water is under active consideration. Several infrastructure upgrading projects are under various stages of completion," he said.

Highlighting, traffic congestion in the city, BJP member Gopal Shetty said it takes four hours to reach south Mumbai from the Western suburb of Borivali through the Western Express Highway.

MNS legislator Shishir Shinde alleged that the government is insensitive towards working women, who travel from distant suburbs to the city by local trains.

"There are no washrooms for women at the railway stations," he said.

Vinod Ghosalkar of Shiv Sena demanded that rain water harvesting be taken up at state secretariat and bungalows of ministers to create awareness among the people.

When Tara Singh expressed unhappiness over Jadhav's reply, the minister said a meeting of all MLAs from Mumbai would be convened within a month to discuss traffic congestion, shortage of drinking water supply and other infrastructure-related woes.