The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) general body is set for a political confrontation over proposals to alter the reservations of three plots in Mulund, Amboli and Vile Parle, with the land currently earmarked for recreational or public purposes proposed for uses including a petrol pump, residential development and a municipal dispensary.
The proposals are expected to trigger a wider debate over Mumbai’s shrinking open spaces, with opposition leaders accusing the ruling side of repeatedly modifying reservations on land meant for public use.
Mulund Sports Plot Proposed for Petrol Pump
The most contentious proposal involves a 4,000 sq m pblot in Gavanpada, Mulund East, owned by the Collector and currently reserved for a sports complex. The proposal seeks to change its reservation to permit a petrol pump.
Opposition members objected to the move during discussions in the BMC Improvement Committee, alleging that the change could lead to public land being diverted under the pretext of meeting fuel requirements.
They also pointed to a nearby 2,087 sq m plot that was already reserved for a petrol pump and has reportedly been allotted for a gas station. Opposition leaders argued that the existing facility would address the area’s fuel requirements and questioned the need to alter another public reservation.
The proposal gained further attention after reports highlighted the issue, following which Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray visited the site. The Mulund proposal is now before the BMC general body.
Amboli Garden Land Seeks Residential Status
The second proposal concerns a 1,840 sq m plot in Amboli, Jogeshwari, currently reserved for a garden. The proposal seeks to change its designation to residential use. The land is privately owned by the Laxmi Narayan Mandir Trust.
Mumbai BJP chief and Andheri West MLA Ameet Satam had approached the BMC seeking the change, stating that the temple requires urgent repairs and that the existing reservation makes redevelopment difficult.
Vile Parle Plot Proposed for Dispensary
The third proposal involves a 204.69 sq m plot on C D Barfiwala Road in Vile Parle, currently reserved as public open space. The proposed change would allow the land to be used for a municipal dispensary.
Satam defended the proposal, stating that a structure already exists on the plot and suggesting that it could instead be developed as a dialysis centre to assist residents requiring treatment.
The Amboli and Vile Parle proposals have cleared the Improvement Committee and are expected to be placed before the general body. The Mulund proposal reached the general body after opposition members objected during the committee stage.
Opposition Plans Strong Protest
Opposition leader Kishori Pednekar said her party would oppose the Mulund proposal and “expose the ruling party before the public” over what she described as the systematic loss of open spaces.
Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi said the ruling side could potentially pass the proposals because of its majority, but the opposition would demand a vote and seek to show citizens “who are eating open plots of Mulund after Bandra.”
The three proposals are now likely to become a larger political test over how Mumbai’s public land reservations are being altered, with the opposition preparing to challenge the moves in the BMC general body.
Source: Mumbai Mirror
