Dinesh Kamath's news item 'Dashrath Bhagat strongly supports PAPs' that was published in Newsband

Dashrath Bhagat strongly supports PAPs

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: Congress leader Dashrath Bhagat has once again come out in strong support of project affected persons (PAPs). His protest during the general body of the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), led the mayor to withdraw its proposal for appointing only two contractors for sanitation work in the satellite city. Instead, the proposal for appointment of Project Affected Persons (PAPs) and locals from the city to carry out sanitation work in 118 units was supported and cleared.

Dashrath Bhagat minced no words while totally opposing the original proposal to appoint only two contractors (for zone 1 and 2). This is not the first time that he was opposing the ruling party’s tendency to deprive locals and PAPs of their right to employment and livelihood. He said that if only two contractors were appointed for carrying out sanitary work, the PAPs who were doing the cleaning work earlier would be rendered jobless.

Dashrath Bhagat referred to PAPs as the sons-of-the-soil and he said that NMMC should be thankful to PAPs for winning so many prestigious awards like the Sant Gadge Baba sanitation prize at the national level. He questioned as to why now these PAPs should be rendered jobless when they have been doing an excellent job?

Bhagat spoke against the contractors appointed by NMMC in the past. He also condemned the functioning of present contractor. He said that these contractors had failed to perform their duties up to the satisfaction of the residents in Zone 1 of NMMC extending from Belapur to Vashi and zone II extending from Koperkhairane to Digha. Hence, he said, these works should be given to the locals or PAPs.

Mayor Sagar Naik was totally convinced with Dashrath Bhagat’s argument and he without hesitation amended the proposal for appointment of two contractors and cleared the proposal for appointing contractors in 118 units. The proposal will cost NMMC Rs 54.35 crore. He asked the NMMC authorities to call for the Tenders for zones 1 and 2 for a period of five years. Thus it was a victory for Dahsrath Bhagat.