On Tuesday, Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam took to Twitter and said that Maha Vikas Aghadi government's proposed opening up of the salt pan land for the construction of affordable homes will destroy Mumbai forever.
Nirupam asked Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat to also consider the city's ecological balance before opening up 355 acres of salt pan land situated between Mulund and Vikhroli.
The senior Congress leader wrote, "Dear Rev. Min. @bb_thoratji before opening up salt pan land for builder lobby in the name of affordable housing, kindly think of Mumbai’s ecological balance. Builder lobby is eyeing on this land to loot for a long time. Don’t fall into their trap. It’ll destroy Mumbai for ever."
According to an FPJ Exclusive report, the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government has formed a high power committee headed by a Chief Secretary to prepare a detailed report of salt pan land for the construction of affordable homes. The government has also asked the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to prepare a detailed plan.
Revenue Balasaheb Thorat said, "These lands are owned jointly by the state and the Central government and the decision to unlock will be taken together. IIT Bombay will carry out the geological survey of these 40 salt pan lands spread over 355 acre. The final decision on opening up these lands will be taken after the government receives a report from the Chief Secretary led committee."
The previous Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government had also made an unsucessful attempt to use the salt pan lands across Mumbai and its metropolitan region for housing projects, slum rehabilitation and infrastructure development.
