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Sunday, 27 November 2022

A Brand New Unstable Stabiliser from a Branded Company - What a Shame

I bought a new Refigerator, and was suggested to buy a Vee Guard
Accordingly, I bought one as below







Friday, 18 November 2022

Is this Medical Policy another scam scheme by HDFC Bank

 In 2015 I did take a HDFC Health Assure Plan Policy as below




Have regularly paid all my Premiums

For the First Time in 40 years I had an issue on my Right Shoulder. Never knew what it was until I visited a local Doctor who treated me

with some medicines got my Blood Sugar Checked and also visited a Diabetologist to ensure I was safe to be operated 








Now I am told I needed to be hospitalised to claim the expenses incurred
else this procedure is not covered under the claim. Till date I have incurred expenses as below                                                                                                                     

    


                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           - 


A Single Country now with a Single Helpline Number


Everyday the past two decades we see a new service being launched and a new helpline. Do you think it is possible for anyone in his normal senses to recall these 4, 6 or 8 digit  numbers, especially during a crisis. 

Can we not instead have a single number: Helpline: 11111111

When this number is dialled, the requirement of the person manning the service is to direct it to the correct state/service or number

This then is further directed to the next level of correctness, and so forth, that within a few minutes the final point of contact is established.
So be it a threat of Fire, or Water, be it a crime against another, the helpline is the same. The path to get there is managed by the operators
In a max of 6 transfers the final destination should have been reached

Monday, 14 November 2022

Gokhale Bridge is Falling Down

In kinder garten we learnt a Nursery Rhyme  "London Bridge Is Falling Down"
Today we are in a state of disbelief when one of the main connectors of the East-West corridor is crumbling. Below are some of the tit bits gathered from the various
chats and news cuttings





















The Gokhale Bridge Saga or Scam


2018 – Pedestrian walkway adjacent to the flyover collapsed

            Next few months – entire flyover closed

            Then reopened for a short while

2019 – East and West bound lanes were alternatively closed under the pretext of
repairing the walkway

2020 – Flyover reopened and voila – the pedestrian walkway was not repaired at all.
Instead width of
the existing flyover was reduced and the pedestrian walkway was made
on part of the road. For 
this they took a year and God knows the budget?


2020 – after a few months, the east bound lanes were once again shut and the road from
the east of
 the tracks were demolished, ostensibly to build a new bridge, lane – by -lane.
Subsequently no w
ork seemed to be done for over 18 months except breaking of the lane to the east of the tracks and a few new pillars (in two years).
Even the new flyover coming from Juhu Lane to the 
flyover was closed causing
immense traffic jams, waste of time and fuel.

2020 – Work commenced on new flyover from Western Express Highway to the start
of the Gokhale
 Flyover East end. This used to be a wide 8 lane road and then till datewe are left with a single pot-holed lane. The only advantage of this flyover is for trafficfrom the sparsely used perpendicular Telli Gully which contributes to less than 5% ofthe through traffic. Why was this flyover even needed?
And was this more important than the Gokhale flyover?

30-Oct-2022 – Morbi bridge collapses

4-Nov-2022 – Powers that be suddenly realise that this flyover could also collapse
and orders bridge
  closure – a CYA tactic?

7-Nov-22 – Bridge is closed leading to utter chaos for millions of residents,
school-children, patients!


























































Update as on 11th November @ 7:00 pm

1. Yesterday 10 tu Nov Hon Dy CM Shri  Devendra Fadnavis ji spoke to
Honble Railway 
Minister Shri Ashvini Vaishnavji requesting fast expedition of Gokhale bridge  work
2. To follow it up, today a high level meeting of BMC, railways and Traffic dept was called by Hon Guardian Minister Shri Mangalprabhat Lodhaji
at MLA Ameet Satam's request  to execute and implement the measures.

3. It was first decided to seek a 2nd opinion on the structural report & evaluate
if one lane can be used fr pedestrians, autos and 2 wheelers by giving some
external support subject to structural clearance. The same wil b done in 8 days. 

4. Railways will initiate tender fr demolition of existing bridge one portion and
get the work completed latest by end Feb 23. 

5. BMC will float tender tomorrow for reconstruction and making of pre cast material
of new bridge will start simultaneously as the bridge is being demolished.

6. In march23, BMC will start work of  assembly of pre cast material on site and
complete work by end may.

7. It is targetted to start Single lane of going and coming of bridge in June. 

Special Thanks to Dy CM Devendraji for taking up this on fast track with Railways Minister,
MLA Ameet Satam for taking up the issue of bridge to save from any mishap and
then taking up for fast track actions along with all concerned authorities.

Thanks to Guardian Min Mangal prabhat Lodhaji fo all support.#BJP for safety of citizens and also to facilitate quicker solution for present crisis
of traffic 
due to closure of Gokhale bridge.

Regards,

 Abhijit Samant 

Ex Corporator Ward 84



















https://twitter.com/AndheriLOCA/status/1591669160207323136?s=19






1) in 2019, BMC issued a Tender to
Demolish & Reconstruct the Municipal Portions of Gokhale Bridge


2) work was to be completed in 18 mths


3) Scope of work- to construct new bridges on east & west sides
(on Municipal Portion of Gokhale bridge)

4) work was to be done in Phases, so no traffic was disrupted

5) design of East & West sides of bridge were finalised
6) Three years later,
has anyone seen a ready bridge on any side of Gokhale Bridge?

7) approach bridges (on Municipal portion) are not yet completed, even after three years.


Assuming Railway part of bridge gets ready in 8 mths, as now promised......,
can the main bridge be used without approach bridges getting ready? 

And what stopped the approach bridges from getting ready all these years?

Answer to this question, may unravel much about this Gokhale Bridge saga










https://www.timesnownews.com/mumbai/mumbai-bmc-plans-to-allow-autos-
and-bikes-on-one-lane-of-gokhale-bridge-resurfaces-alternate-routes-article-95497353 




https://www.mid-day.com/mumbai/mumbai-news/article/mumbai-caught-in-traffic-school-buses-seek-change-in-timings-23255545


Gokhale bridge update

Railways has floated tender yesterday of 14 days for Gokhale bridge demolition. 

BMC has floated tender for new bridge construction and work order wil b floated in 1st week of December. 

Ameet Satam MLA










After reading this comment, are we the Citizens being played by Two sides of the same Coin. In this one upmanship, we are the sufferers.










































































Gokhale bridge update

Did site inspection of work at Gokhale Bridge today with BMC & railway officials as well as both contractors.

Work of demolition of bridge on railway tracks is in progress by railway contractor in 4 phases. First phase complete and entire work is targetted to he complete by 20th March. 

The BMC contractor has started work of fabrication and will start work on site after railway demolition work is over. They wil take max 3 months to start traffic one side once they start. Trying to squeeze it to 2 months so that we start one side traffic in June. 

We wil take another review of progress after a month.

Ameet Satam MLA














Half-way done! Cross beams and ribs being slowly removed from Gokhale Road Bridge railway portion every night. West side is done and once all are taken out, the entire frame will be removed at one go.




Do return for updates as the story unfolds