Throwing down the gauntlet, Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday dared the Congress-NCP Maharashtra government to execute the civic heritage committee’s recommendations.
The sparring between the State government and the Opposition parties, notably the Shiv Sena and the Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena is over the Heritage Committee’s proposal to add 868 new structures, sites and precincts to the list of heritage properties in Dadar and Mahim, including Shivaji Park.
“We consider the Heritage Committee’s list null and void and dare the government to adhere to it,” said Mr. Thackeray, addressing a packed audience in Dadar.
The move has drawn flak from both the Shiv Sena and the MNS, with both the cousins vociferously attempting to be the champions of redevelopment projects of old and dilapidated building in the area.
“The government proposes to declare residential buildings as old as 50 to 75 years in Dadar and Mahim as ‘Heritage Sites’…the proposal is absolutely ridiculous as it completely goes against notions of development,” Mr. Thackeray said, commenting that the government’s move, if executed, would undermine its own vision of transforming the city into a Shanghai or a Singapore.
Meanwhile, a delegation of politicians and activists led by MP Priya Dutt met the Chief Minister on Thursday afternoon on the issue, suggesting that the Heritage Committee list had created panic among people.
Mr. Chavan informed the delegation that the list was prepared by a Committee in 2005 and later in 2008, while stating that the whole process would be revised and a fresh list drawn up after removing from the list all the structures already being developed.
The Chief Minister said the new list was being worked out and if objections were received for the structures in the list the same would be looked into, while adding that the entire process was on hold till then and there was no cause for concern.
