The BMC should conduct a public referendum before moving ahead with the plan to build a Central Park at the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, demanded Makarand Narwekar who is ex-BJP corporator from Colaba. Just 500-odd members of the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) cannot decide the Racecourse's fate, one of the last remaining open spaces in the city, he underlined.
Letter to BMC administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal
In a letter to BMC administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal, Narwekar warned that he would take up the issue with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde if the civic body doesn't hold a referendum. Proposing to set up a high-power committee (HPC) to consider views of stakeholders, he said that the land belongs to the Mumbaikars hence their votes are most important.
“If the BMC administrator thinks that Central Park is what the city needs, I demand that the civic body must conduct a referendum before going ahead. The voice of citizens shouldn’t be excluded just because there is no elected body in the BMC. Any move of going ahead with the proposal is nothing but a betrayal of the citizens,” said Narwekar.
Pledging to “fight tooth and nail” to save the open space, he asserted that the people will not let go of the largest piece of land under the garb of creation of a Central Park.
“The citizens of Mumbai, who are the owners of the land, have not been consulted on the issue. Why are they not being consulted? Any decision concerning citizens cannot be taken unilaterally,” said Narwekar.
