Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Monday inspected pre-monsoon works, including the road repair and cleaning of nullahs, in his home turf Thane city. Shinde was accompanied by Thane Municipal Commissioner Abhijit Bangar and other officials.

Talking to reporters, the Kopri-Pachpakhadi MLA said he was satisfied with the overall work. "The penalty clause of Rs 1 lakh for each pothole brought in by the TMC in the contract will ensure that contractors carry out quality work,. Besides, third-party testing and audit by IIT will ensure good quality work," he said.

During the inspection, he directed the civic chief to issue show cause notices to a contractor and an official, respectively, for not providing PPE kits to workers and for the delay in the completion of work.

Shinde said he had instructed Urban Development department officials to ensure workers attending manholes are given PPE kits, adding that his government would also see if robots could be deployed for such works so that human lives are not endangered.

Queried on the Jalayukta Shivar programme, Shinde said it has been restored and is being given the utmost importance. The drive to increase the groundwater level by constructing ponds in farms was launched by Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis during his first term as the chief minister (from 2014-19).

Shinde said the process of giving 75,000 jobs to the needy has already begun. "Our government is committed to working for the common man and will keep on working in the interest of the people," he said when asked about NCP leader Jitendra Awhad's demand to give importance to small houses in the development of clusters. Shinde said the state government will provide aid to this civic bodies which are financial weak so that development works are not affected.