RTI Delay Fuels Controversy Over Matunga Parking Tower
The ambitious 23-storey robotic parking tower project at Matunga Central Railway Station has come under fire, with citizens raising concerns over the lack of transparency and delayed responses from the municipal authorities. Over 30 days have passed since citizen activists filed Right to Information (RTI) applications, yet the BMC (Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation) and the Mumbai Fire Brigade (MFB) have not provided key documents regarding the project’s approvals.
Activist Chetan Trivedi, who has spearheaded the RTI efforts, expressed frustration over the lack of clarity. Trivedi visited the BMC’s Building Proposal (BP) department and the MFB’s office to seek answers but was met with ambiguity. “I am being told that the response to my RTIs is ‘in process’, yet there’s no clear timeline or indication of when I will receive the information. The BMC seems to be passing the responsibility from one department to another, instead of addressing the issue directly,” Trivedi stated. One of the major points of contention is the Non-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Mumbai Fire Brigade. According to the MFB, the plot where the parking tower is being developed lacks a CS number, which has reportedly led to the NOC not being available in the system. However, activists question why such a vital document, essential for the project’s safety compliance, has not been made available to the public.
The BMC awarded the contract for the Rs 126 crore project in 2023, before the necessary approvals had been secured, including the Railways NOC obtained only in 2024. The process of awarding the contract through offline channels without consulting citizens has added fuel to the controversy. G. R. Vora, a trustee of the Petitions Group, has called for greater public participation. “This project is funded by taxpayers’ money. Why was the contract awarded without engaging the public or inviting objections?” he asked.
The Petitions Group has now written to local political representatives, including MLA Kalidas Kolamkar and MP Anil Desai, urging them to halt the project. Kolamkar has reportedly suggested the activists propose an alternative site for the parking tower. In an effort to resolve the issue, the BMC Chief Engineer (Roads and Traffic) has scheduled another meeting with the activists on January 2, hoping to address their concerns. However, given the history of unfulfilled promises regarding transparency, citizens remain sceptical about the outcome.
