RailEnquiry

The 10-day Ganesha festival beginning from September 19 has provided an ideal platform for political parties to enhance their image across the state by addressing the people’s concerns ahead of the festival and trying to win their support.The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has sought a total exemption of toll taxes on buses ferrying Mumbaikars throughout the state during the Ganeshotsav. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan indicated that he would consider the matter.Apart from poster wars which the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena and the BJP are planning during the festival, they are also trying to focus on the administrative concerns during the festival to please the people.The leader of opposition in the state council, Vinod Tawde, has decided to begin a two-day tour from Thursday to access the road conditions and preparations in bus depots along the Mumbai and Konkan stretch. The state transport has also decided to run 1,500 additional bus services during the festivals. Apart from this, the union railways has agreed to deploy special festival trains passing through Mumbai and the Konkan region.The biggest concern of the state administration is the incessant rains in the coastal Konkan region, which has adversely affected the roads. The 550-km Mumbai-Goa stretch is filled with potholes.

“I am leading a delegation of BJP members to personally review the preparedness ahead of the festival,” said Tawde. “Thousands of people are going to travel through these roads. We have to find out whether there is adequate manpower in bus depots and drivers to keep pace with the swelling crowd.”