In an apparent bid to score a point over his successor Ajit Pawar,former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal,now PWD and Tourism Minister,on Monday called a meeting of railway,MMRDA,BMC and state government officials to discuss the outrage of passengers,who disrupted services after three persons were run over by local trains within hours in Vikhroli on Sunday. Last week,when the Chief Minister was busy finalising names of Congress ministers in Delhi,Pawar had called a meeting of officials to review the law and order situation and the damage to crops due to unseasonal rains. The sources said on Monday,Chavan was away in Delhi for a meeting with Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to discuss the Navi Mumbai airport,and there was a possibility that Pawar would repeat what he had done earlier. Instead it was Bhujbal who emulated him. Bhujbal also roped in Home Minister R R Patil for the meeting. Bhujbal asked why a foot over-bridge was not being built at the Vikhroli railway crossing despite the fact that people were getting killed regularly. Central Railway officials said they were waiting for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to issue a no-objection certificate (NoC). Bhujbal asked civic officials to issue an NoC at the earliest. Bhujbal said the situation would be reviewed in 15 days. He said around 4,000 people were killed in railway accidents in the Mumbai metropolitan region every year and around 2,500 of them became physically handicapped. In a place like Vikhroli,people do not have an option but to cross the tracks. Necessary arrangements should be made at such locations, said Bhujbal. Bhujbal warned that action could be taken against the railways if they were found to be at fault. He also warned of action against erring railway officials under the Disaster Management Act for causing death or injury. Sources said Monday was the first working day for the new ministers who were granted portfolios on Friday and Bhujbal wanted to make a point. Sources said that after relinquishing the post of deputy chief minister,Bhujbal wanted to score a point over Pawar.
