The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) proposal to spend Rs 2.46 crore on repairing the 46-year-old Swatantryaveer Savarkar Market in Dadar (West) has been deferred after members of the Standing Committee called for a comprehensive redevelopment policy for ageing municipal markets instead of recurring repair works.
During Wednesday’s meeting, committee members questioned the civic body’s approach of investing substantial funds in repairs without a long-term strategy for modernising its ageing market infrastructure. They suggested that redeveloping these markets using additional Floor Space Index (FSI) could create multi-storey facilities with improved amenities, parking spaces and commercial areas while generating additional revenue for the BMC.
The Savarkar Market, which has been classified as a C-2B structure in a structural audit, requires extensive repairs estimated at Rs 2.46 crore. Although the proposal was placed before the committee for approval, Chairman Prabhakar Shinde deferred it following discussions on the need for a broader redevelopment roadmap.
MNS group leader Yashwant Killedar criticised the proposal, stating that it lacked essential details and failed to address issues such as sanitation and the market’s long-term future. He questioned whether the structure required repairs or complete redevelopment and sought a fresh proposal supported by a joint inspection report prepared with civic officials.
Education Committee Chairperson Rajashree Shirwadkar also raised concerns over the deteriorating condition of municipal markets despite the availability of dedicated funds for their upkeep.
Leader of the House Ganesh Khankar said civic markets are valuable public assets that can be transformed into modern, multi-functional facilities capable of generating additional municipal revenue through redevelopment.
Shinde observed that the condition of many municipal markets was poor and questioned the delay in formulating a redevelopment policy. He recommended redeveloping ageing markets into multi-storey buildings by utilising additional FSI to create parking facilities, commercial spaces and improved public amenities.
The Standing Committee also directed the civic administration to submit a detailed report outlining its overall policy for municipal markets, the steps taken so far, and the status of the proposed redevelopment of 20 civic markets across Mumbai.
Source: The Free Press Journal
