Indian Express 25.11.2010
Corporators see PMC bid to delay Shivsrishti project, give nod to phase I
Councillors from across the political parties on Wednesday took the civic administration to task for a proposal to dereserve 75 acres under the biodiversity park and club it with a 28-acre garbage depot plot for building Shivsrishti, a memorial to Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji, in Kothrud. Alleging a ploy to delay the project, the elected representatives divided it into two phases and gave a nod to execution of the first phase on the garbage depot land.
The administration had tabled the proposal to change the reservation of the garbage depot and the adjoining biodiversity park to city culture centre so that the memorial could be set up in the area. Shiv Sena leader Shyam Deshpande said the administration should have sought approval for execution of the project at the garbage depot site first and then start the process for dereserving 75 acres in the biodiversity park. “If the administration proposal is sent to the state government for approval, then it is definitely going to get delayed. The fear of environmentalists obstructing the plans of dereserving the biodiversity park land will always be there.” NCP leader Dilip Barate also alleged a deliberate ploy.
Independent corporator Ujjwal Keskar welcomed the administration plan to dereserve the biodiversity park and said efforts should be made to allow committed development on the land. “The land owners are restricted from constructing houses on the land; it’s an injustice.”
Congress leader Ulhas Bagul proposed that the project should be executed in two phases, so that the work could be started immediately on the garbage depot land while the second phase could be taken up later on. He said it would avoid delay in implementation of the project.
Independent corporator Ujjwal Keskar welcomed the administration plan to dereserve the biodiversity park and said efforts should be made to allow committed development on the land. “The land owners are restricted from constructing houses on the land; it’s an injustice.”
Congress leader Ulhas Bagul proposed that the project should be executed in two phases, so that the work could be started immediately on the garbage depot land while the second phase could be taken up later on. He said it would avoid delay in implementation of the project.
