Taking time off his busy schedule, Powai and Chandivili MLA Mohammed Arif Naseem Khan sat down to discuss a few of the issues at hand in his constituency and his corresponding plans of action. A member of the Congress Party, Naseem Khan is also a former Minister of State for Home, and currently holds the positions of State Cabinet minister for Textiles and Minorities Development.

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When quizzed about the whether he gets time to personally meet residents and welfare organizations in his constituency on a regular basis, Naseem Khan profusely shakes his head to confirm that he in fact, does. “I stay close to Powai. And my house and office is always available for visitors or residents and their grievances”, says Naseem Khan. “We make it a point to hold quarterly meetings, which are attended by representatives of various resident associations, including the Hiranandani Gardens Welfare Association, AGNI, and Jal Vayu Vihar Resident’s Association among others.

Concerns are noted and plans for action are discussed and then initiated by me as permissible”, explains Naseem Khan. Asked about what are the common problems that require to be tackled in Powai, he highlights pollution, traffic jams, crime, and the powai lake issue as the major discussion points at each meeting. Although crime rate in Powai is relatively low in comparison to other areas of the city, Naseem Khan takes a strict approach of intolerance.

Aware of the increasing number of companies having set up within the Hiranandani Special Economic Zone, leading to higher number of cases reported for drunk driving and collisions over the past year, Naseem Khan ensures that active steps have already been taken with 3 new chowkis having been set up and doubling of patrol vehicles post 10 pm. According to him, this has significantly cut down on reported cases by at least 30%. “Safety and welfare of the residents and other inhabitants is paramount for me.

Strict actions were initiated in 2009 when I took the MLA seat for Powai, and major revamp of both road and general crime patrolling was done. We are continually looking to improve in any way we can, using suggestions provided by residents as well,” explains Naseem Khan. Upon being asked about the general health of the constituency and the functioning of hospitals as well as other initiatives to improve the living conditions of the people, Naseem Khan describes a number of action points which have been followed up over the last year or so. Fogging activities are taken up by the BMC on a bi weekly basis, in order to stem the rise of malaria and other mosquito borne diseases. During the monsoon season, World Vision, an NGO, setup health check-up camps at the Government Hospital as well as visited the chawls and provided dengue and anti-malarial pills, including treatment to those affected”, elucidates Naseem Khan.

He stresses upon health being a top priority on his list, and that season wise allocation of doctors to treat specific diseases is done at the Government Hospital. I believe in the motto of prevention before cure”, says Naseem Khan. Finally highlighting a much maligned issue of his constituency, the Powai Lake, Naseem Khan discloses that although a tremendous amount of work has been done over the last few years, a lot more remains to be improved. Even after the beautification process of the lake, it is being used for dumping sewage by some factories and plants in the area. “We are actively working with the BMC to identify illegal drainage connections with the water body and also regular cleaning of the water hyacinth growth in the lake,” reveals Naseem Khan.

He resolves to improve the condition of the lake and preserve the flora and fauna of the surrounding area. Resident welfare associations have taken up an active role in the cleaning up of the lake as well as of their neighbourhood. Before announcing that he has another appointment on his calendar, he stresses, “We as people are responsible for the place we live in. If we treat our surroundings as our home, then that is half the problem solved. ”

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