Shiv Sena seems determined to embarrass and corner BJP at the every possible opportunity. Diwakar Raote, Sena's senior leader and minister for transport, seized an opportunity—the apex court's order to shut down establishments within 500 metres from the national and state highways. Last week, the state government had commenced the process of de-notifying highways passing through municipal corporations and MMRDA (Mumbai metropolitan regional development authority) in order to bypass the apex court order.
Diwakar Raote wrote a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stating that “de-notifying state and national highways and handing them over to the municipal corporations and authorities like MMRDA will amount to contempt of court".
"The Supreme Court order is meant to ensure road safety and protect human life by reducing the possibility of accidents. Liquor ban is not of the primary or central consideration in the said order. It is just a measure to satisfy the primary consideration of human safety.”
He has further pointed out that “many local municipal bodies in the state do not have the financial capablity to afford the repair and maintenance of these highways. Many of them barely manage to pay salaries to their employees. The condition of the highways in those areas will worsen with poor or no maintenance. Fatal accidents will increase with the liquor shops running near these district roads due to de-notification.”
He further wrote, “People in the state feel that the government is finding ways to support and encourage liquor sale. This is not good for a progressive state like Maharashtra.” The letter was widely circulated on social media and whatsapp groups. Ratnakar Mahajan, Congress spokesperson, said, “It is true that the de-notification qualifies as contempt of court. Moreover, how can a state government neglect human life in order to save revenue?”
Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP are likely to oppose de-notification, considering the financial burden of maintenance on the municipal corporations that they control. But the state government hopes to reduce the estimated revenue loss from Rs 7000 crore to Rs 2500 crore. Chandrakant Patil, minister of public works department, said, “It is not just Maharashtra which is de-notifying the stretches of highways passing through local municipal bodies. Many other states in India have already done it. We will put adequate road safety measures in place to ensure human safety.”
