The Bombay High Court has chided the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC)recently for not undertaking road projects approved in the city development plan. The PIL came up for hearing before a division bench of Justices Ajay Khanvikar and AP Bhangle who then directed the TMC to take up the issue with the departments concerned and resolve it within two weeks.

Citizen activists Pradeep Indulkar had filed a PIL in the HC pointing out that the TMC had suspended the construction work on as many as 19 internal roads and three roads connecting Mumbai to Thane. This has greatly inconvenienced the citizens and put a strain on the vehicular traffic as the TMC was hesitant to proceed with the road project for fear of inviting action from Environment and Forest Department.

The High Court is said to have expressed optimism that the civic administration would be able to convince the State departments about the need to improve connectivity and remove traffic bottleneck in the city. The court said the Thane municipal commissioner will be personally responsible to ensure compliance of their directions to the administration to apply for permissions from State departments in two weeks time.