Mumbai: Actor Salman Khan's plans to build a luxury hotel on Carter Road in Bandra (W) has hit a major roadblock. Local MLA and city BJP president Ashish Shelar has made it clear that he will not endorse any project which will destroy the peace and privacy of the area. He was interacting with journalists of the FPJ and Navshakti during a visit to FPJ House on Saturday.
Shelar said the proposed project was approved by the erstwhile MVA government and an ex-corporator. The site of the proposed hotel was deliberately chosen to be close to the Bandra-Versova sea link.
He made it clear that while the BJP was for development, it will not endorse any project which adversely impacted people's peace and privacy. Salman Khan purchased an old building Starlet cooperative housing society on prime carter road some years ago.
The idea then was to build a residential apartment but, later the plan was changed to erect a 19-year-old uber luxury. Apparently, the BMC's building proposals department had also approved the plan for a hotel with enhanced floor space index. Many are wondering on what basis the conversion from residential to commercial use was done in what is predominantly a residential area. There was no public consultation and the local residents were shocked when they came to know that a hotel, which will entail huge vehicular traffic, is coming up in their midst.
Shelar also stated Bandra was not an ideal place for locating the Ferris wheel or Mumbai Eye. He said thousands of people will flock to Bandra with their cars and there will be utter chaos. He indicated that the sprawling Mumbai Port Trust area on the east coast of the city was an ideal place to locate the Ferris Wheel. He observed that Union minister Nitin Gadkari had proposed an ambitious and workable proposal to develop port trust land."
Final decision to be taken after consulting local residents
Asked about the controversy over the development of a parking lot at Patwardhan ground and a metro station near Sadhu Vaswani garden, Shelar said a final decision will be taken in consultation with local residents.
Replying to a question, Shelar said there was little chance of the BMC elections being held before October, 2023. He said the BJP will fulfil its goal of capturing the BMC in tandem with its allies in the NDA. “Mumbai will definitely have a BJP mayor," he claimed.
Not against any individual, but the corrupt system, says Shelar
When asked why the ruling BJP is unable to proceed against municipal commissioner I.S. Chahal, despite the severe strictures passed by CAG with regard to alleged corruption in several civic projects, Shelar said his party was not against any individual. “We are against the system which breeds so much corruption," he explained.
When it was pointed out that the Anti Corruption Bureau was unable to get Chahal's sanction for proceeding against several assistant commissioners, the BJP leader said sanction has been given in some cases. He disclosed that the second part of the CAG report will come out soon and it will unearth more corruption in the civic body.
Shelar said the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray posed no threat to the BJP. He said people want development and the BJP will win on a positive plank.
