Hundreds of citizens gathered in Vashi on Thursday to meet MP Naresh Mhaske and present their grievances. During his visit, Mhaske actively worked to resolve issues by calling the relevant authorities on the spot, surprising many with his swift action. A significant number of complaints were raised by the residents of Bonkode-Khairane village, highlighting long-standing problems in the area.

MP Naresh Mhaske has prioritised addressing the concerns of Navi Mumbai residents through this initiative. His visit to the Shiv Sena central office and MP liaison office in Vashi saw citizens from different parts of the city arriving as early as morning to seek solutions to their problems. Approximately 700 individuals approached him with issues such as delays in the transfer process of CIDCO-built houses, civil works under condominiums pending with the NMMC, regularisation of homes built for original village residents, hospital bills, school fees, traffic congestion, and drainage cleaning.

Emphasising immediate resolution, Mhaske called the concerned departments, resolving some problems on the spot, which prompted citizens to express their gratitude. The event saw the presence of several Shiv Sena leaders, including District Chief Kishore Patkar, Dwarkanath Bhoir, Women’s District President Sheetal Kachre, Saroj Patil, Senior Corporator Shivram Patil, and many other office bearers and activists.

The visit brought to light major concerns from Bonkode-Khairane village, where residents raised issues of unauthorised constructions, persistent traffic congestion, the rising presence of foreign nationals engaged in the drug trade, and the lack of land availability for locals. Expressing surprise, Mhaske noted that despite years of leadership by multiple MPs, MLAs, and ministers, the core problems of the village remained unresolved.

Among the many grievances heard, one particularly distressing case came from a woman from Mira-Bhayandar, who shared the ordeal of her kidnapped son. She revealed that after three years of marriage, her husband abandoned her and took their child to Nepal. Upon hearing her plea, Mhaske immediately called the Deputy Commissioner of Police and directed the authorities to take swift action to reunite the child with his mother.

When questioned about whether this initiative was a counter to Ganesh Naik’s ‘Janata Darbar,’ Mhaske dismissed any notions of political rivalry. He firmly stated that he was not a king or a maharaja to hold a court and emphasised that his work was not driven by competition. Instead, he reiterated that the people had elected him with great trust, and it was his duty to serve them. He credited his commitment to public service as being inspired by the teachings of Balasaheb Thackeray and Guruvarya Anand Dighe.