Political drama unfolded at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as Shiv Sena MLA Aaditya Thackeray and BJP MLA Ashish Shelar clashed over the issue of hoardings along the Coastal Road. Thackeray raised concerns about the safety hazards posed by the planned hoardings, accusing the BJP of benefiting their contractor friends through the approval of these hoardings. He vowed to cancel the tenders and remove the hoardings once the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is back in power.
During his meeting with municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, Thackeray also highlighted various other civic issues such as the appointment of a blacklisted contractor for road concretization, redevelopment of religious places, stalled housing society projects, and the need for better amenities in the city. He emphasized the importance of preparing the city for the upcoming Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations by ensuring the readiness of roads for immersions and setting up artificial ponds in every ward.
On the other hand, Shelar, accompanied by fellow BJP MLAs, dismissed Thackeray’s allegations, calling them fear-mongering tactics. He clarified that permissions for hoardings along the Coastal Road on reclaimed land have not been granted and that the land is intended for open spaces or recreational purposes only. Shelar demanded an inquiry into why the MVA government did not submit the required affidavit regarding land usage during Thackeray’s tenure as environment minister.
Addressing the conflicting claims, Gagrani assured that permissions for hoardings are granted based on Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance and that no hoardings will be allowed on the reclaimed land designated for the Coastal Road, in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directives.
The heated exchange between the Shiv Sena and BJP leaders underscores the ongoing political tensions within the BMC and the differing perspectives on urban development and governance. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how the issue of hoardings along the Coastal Road will be resolved and whether the focus will shift towards addressing the broader civic challenges facing Mumbai.