Raja against approval for rooftop restaurants

Mumbai: Ravi Raja, leader of the Opposition in the Brihanamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Thursday questioned the civic body’s approval to rooftop restaurants, saying that corporators still had to discuss the matter. The BMC cleared the policy on Wednesday.

Addressing a press conference, Mr. Raja said, “How can the Municipal Commissioner take an arbitrary decision without the suggestions of councillors and other authorities? Any commercial activity in an open space should be in a commercial area, and not in a residential zone,” the Congress leader said. Mr. Raja said the Commercial Initiative Policy was rejected by the Improvements Committee in 2014.