Mumbai: BJP Opposes Construction Of Urdu Bhavan In Byculla, Seeks Conversion To ITI

Mumbai: After securing the highest number of seats in the state assembly elections, the BJP has swiftly focused on challenging the Shiv Sena in Mumbai. In a notable move, the BJP has opposed the construction of the Urdu Bhavan in Byculla, a project that was approved by Shiv Sena in 2021.

A ground-plus-one-storey structure has already been erected on the proposed site. However, in a letter to BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani, the BJP has demanded the conversion of this structure into an Industrial Training Institute (ITI), urging that the appropriate procedures be followed for such a transformation.

Bhalchandra Shirsat, spokesperson for the BJP, wrote to the BMC Commissioner, stating, "The land was originally allotted for the construction of an ITI in Parel in 2011. However, ten years later, during an online BMC meeting held amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the proposal was cancelled without following due procedure. The proposal for the Urdu Bhavan was approved by the BMC administrator in 2022. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the High Court challenging the unlawful cancellation of the ITI project, and as a result, the work has been halted by the BMC since August 2023."

Speaking to the media person, Shirsat added, "There are 12 Urdu schools in the vicinity, and there is enough space to establish an Urdu language training center. Since the ground-plus-one-storey structure has already been completed on the site designated for the Urdu Bhavan, it should be converted into an Industrial Training Institute, which would help enhance the technical skills of the youth."

In 2021-22, the Shiv Sena-led BMC, which was the ruling party at the time, made provisions for the construction of an Urdu Bhavan in Mumbai. The proposal for the project was submitted by the Assistant Commissioner of E Ward in December 2021 and was sanctioned by the Municipal Commissioner in August 2022. The BMC allocated a budget of Rs 13.81 crore for the construction of a five-storey Urdu Bhavan.