Pune: A citizens' group has objected to MSRDC 's Rs 30-crore tender for planting trees along the Mumbai-Pune expressway , near Talegaon, questioning it about the 2004 tender that included the condition of planting 1 lakh trees. Around 1 lakh trees are to be planted as a part of this work order. The citizens' group, Sajag Nagrik Manch , said the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) should inform citizens about the role of contractors in the planting and maintaining the trees.
Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagrik Manch said Rs 1 crore would be spent on planting trees every 4km as per the tender. "In 2004 toll contract for expressway, the contractor was supposed to plant 1 lakh trees. This implies that 833 trees were to be planted per kilometre on this 120km stretch.
So, where did these 1 lakh trees go? And why is a new expenditure of Rs 30 crore being made now? Ultimately, all this money will have to be paid by the public in the form of tolls. We request that the process of the new tender be halted till an account of the previous 1 lakh trees is provided," he said in a press statement. "The authority is doing the plantation for environment protection.
The areas selected for the current plantation are open and will be used for greenery. The locations of the previous plantation were different," said a senior MSRDC official. Pune: A citizens' group has objected to MSRDC's Rs 30-crore tender for planting trees along the Mumbai-Pune expressway, near Talegaon, questioning.