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BJP MLA threatens protest over stalled ₹500 crore road loan
There is a town called Mira-Bhayandar where the roads are full of big potholes.
The town's municipal corporation wanted to build new concrete roads so people could drive safely.
To pay for the roads, it asked the state government to approve a big loan of Rs 500 crore.
A leader named Narendra Mehta says another leader, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, delayed approving the loan.
Because the money was not approved, work stopped and the roads stayed broken and bumpy.
Mr. Shinde says he will find out what happened and make sure the loan gets approved so the roads can be fixed.
Mr. Mehta is unhappy and says he will block the highway on Monday, August 10, if the loan is not approved.
Other leaders from the same ruling alliance, the Mahayuti, blamed each other over who is responsible for the condition of the roads.
Leaders who are supposed to be partners arguing like this is called a rift, and many people are watching to see what happens on Monday.
BJP MLA Narendra Mehta accused Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde of withholding approval for a Rs 500 crore loan meant for road concretisation in Mira-Bhayandar.
Mehta alleged the loan file was pending for several months, though he also told a press conference it was stalled for two years, leaving pothole-ridden roads and halted contractor work.
He threatened a 'Rasta Roko' road blockade at 11 am on Monday, August 10, at the Fountain Hotel junction on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Highway if the loan is not approved urgently.
Shinde said the government will gather information on why approval was stopped and assured the loan will be approved, pledging support as extended to other municipal corporations.
The spat exposed a rift within the ruling Mahayuti alliance, with Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik and Shinde faction leader Raju Bhoir attacking Mehta over his stance.
- Who
- BJP MLA Narendra Mehta, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and other Mahayuti alliance leaders including Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik
- What
- A political dispute over a Rs 500 crore loan for concrete road construction in Mira-Bhayandar that Mehta alleges was stalled for several months or up to two years, prompting a threatened road-blockade protest
- Where
- Mira-Bhayandar and Bhayander in Thane district, Maharashtra; the protest is planned at the Fountain Hotel junction on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Highway
- When
- Dispute reported on August 5-6, 2026; Mehta held a press conference on Tuesday and announced a 'Rasta Roko' protest for 11 am on Monday, August 10, 2026
- Why
- Pothole-ridden roads prompted the municipal corporation to seek the loan for road concretisation, and Mehta alleges Shinde's department withheld approval, leaving road works incomplete
Allegation of Delay
Assurance and Counter-Blame
Responsibility for the stalled Rs 500 crore loan
Allegation of Delay
Mehta says the Shiv Sena-held department under Shinde withheld approval of the loan for several months (two years, per his press conference), even though the corporation would repay it, leaving road works incomplete and contractors idle.
Assurance and Counter-Blame
Shinde says information on why approval was halted will be gathered and a positive decision to restart it will be taken; he assured the loan will be approved and support extended as done for other municipal corporations.
Who is to blame for the pothole-ridden roads
Allegation of Delay
Mehta blames the lack of approved funds for the incomplete concrete road works and the city's pothole problem, saying the city is being defamed.
Assurance and Counter-Blame
Shinde faction leader Raju Bhoir attributes the city's grim condition to the 'obstinate policies' of Mayor Dimple Mehta, Mehta, and the ruling BJP; Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik says Mehta became restless after Shiv Sena took a public-interest stand.
Key facts
- Location
- Mira-Bhayandar, Thane district, Maharashtra
- Loan amount
- Rs 500 crore
- Purpose
- Construction of concrete roads
- Accuser
- Narendra Mehta, BJP MLA of Mira-Bhayandar
- Accused
- Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM of Maharashtra (heads Public Works and Urban Development)
- Alleged delay
- Several months per PTI report; two years per Mehta's press conference claim
- Protest
- 'Rasta Roko' at 11 am on Monday, August 10, at Fountain Hotel junction, Mumbai–Ahmedabad Highway
- Status
- Shinde assured the loan will be approved and support extended
Quotes
MLA Narendra Mehta
Member of Parliament and BJP representative
“The Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation itself will repay the loan; even then, why are obstacles being created in approving it? The concerned department is held by the Shiv Sena. If the loan had been granted, road works would not have remained incomplete. Due to a lack of funds, contractors have stopped work, leading to defamation of the city due to potholes.”
freepressjournal.in
“We have provided assistance to several municipal corporations, and necessary support will be extended to Mira‑Bhayandar as well.”
theprint.in
Sources
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