Shiv Sena demands Port Trust land for development in Mumbai

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray today unveiled 'development agenda' for Mumbai ahead of the Assembly elections in Maharashtra, and said several projects could be implemented if the land in possession of the Mumbai Port Trust along the eastern shore of the city was utilised.

Uddhav Thackeray

Addressing a press conference here, Thackeray said as much as 911 acres of land on the eastern waterfront, including that belonging to MPT, Union Defence Ministry and the saltpans, was lying unused, and had been encroached upon. "If this land is handed over to the municipal corporation, several development projects related to housing, industries, tourism, etc, can be implemented," he said.

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (which is controlled by Shiv Sena and BJP) was capable of constructing a coastal road or a freeway on both shores -- along Marine Drive in the west and Wadala-Mankhurd in the east -- he said. "MCGM has enough funds to carry out both the projects.

It does not need a private partner," Thackeray said. Standing committee chairman and the newly-elected Sena MP from Mumbai South-Central Rahul Shewale said while the MCGM's properties were valued at Rs 30 lakh crore, it also had Rs 30,000 crore of FDs, and FSI sale gets it Rs 3,000 crore every year.

"After getting all the clearances, these projects can be completed in eight to ten years," Shewale said. Thackeray said the Sena-BJP MPs from Mumbai would make a presentation in this regard to the Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar.