Banner banter at Panvel over development delays

Navi Mumbai

There is the regular way of voicing one’s grievance with the civic administration by means of writing e-mails and letters and there is the Panvel residents’ way of highlighting their plight. Two anonymous banners placed by the residential colony alongside the Mahatma Phule Road, Old Panvel, to highlight the hardships faced due to delay in road repair work has turned into a banner debate that is amusing as well as poetic.

A day prior to Gudi Padva sarcasm-laced banner was put up on the Mahatma Phule Road. The banner read – If need be, levy toll charges but make sure Mahatma Phule road repair work gets completed. The matter written in Marathi was signed off as residents aggrieved with dust pollution. The banner has evoked a lot of attention from passersby, and many have taken pictures and even uploaded it on social media. “I happened to see the banner enroute to Panvel Court. It was indeed amusing to see the manner in which the public was voicing their concerns. Equally interesting was the response posted right beneath the banner by the local corporator in poetic style,” said advocate Ajinkya Gavhane.

Demonstrating her sharp wit, Ruchita Mughda Gurunath Londhe, the ward no 19 corporator, gave an equivalent response to the banner within a day. In true quid pro quo style, the corporator through poetic format detailed out the reason for the delay and the ultimate benefits residents will enjoy for bearing with the timely inconvenience.

“I am very good at Marathi therefore decided to respond to the banner in their own style. Ideally those aggrieved could have directly approached me to address the issue as I am a resident and easily approachable but nevertheless, I am thankful they voiced their concern through the banner. I merely stated that it isn’t Panvelkars culture to levy tolls for anything and the ongoing work is only for the colony’s prosperity,” said Londhe.

The issue at the core is the delay in road repair work since November 2022. Roads dug up for augmenting the water supply line remain to be re-laid causing dust pollution in the area. The project worth ₹25 lakh work included laying an 8-inch water pipeline to facilitate sufficient water to over 8 residential societies. “Road re-laying work was intentionally delayed, ascertaining that there are no issues with the new pipeline laid and prevent repeated digging of the road,” adds the corporator.