The proposal pertaining to the memorial was one of two proposals tabled in a special meeting on Wednesday, which was attended by about 10 members. The proposal was passed unopposed.
The civic improvements committee of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) cleared a proposal on Wednesday to hand over the Mayor's bungalow plot to the Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak Nyas (BTRSN). The committee paved the way for the iconic heritage bungalow at Shivaji Park in Dadar to be converted into a memorial for the late Shiv Sena chief.
The proposal pertaining to the memorial was one of two proposals tabled in a special meeting on Wednesday, which was attended by about 10 members. The proposal was passed unopposed.
BJP member Prakash Gangadhare, who heads the committee, said, "The meeting was called immediately after the proposal for the Mayor's bungalow plot — to be handed over for conversion into a memorial for late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray — was cleared by the state cabinet."
During the meeting, Gangadhare said he considered it a personal achievement that the proposal was cleared while he was heading the committee.
According to the proposal, the 11,551 square metre plot will be given on lease to the BTRSN, headed by Sena Chief Udhav Thackeray, at a nominal rate of Rs 1 per year for 30 years. "The plot can be used with 1.33-floor space index (FSI) for the memorial. However, the trust cannot sub-lease or rent the plot to the other party. Also, the trust cannot carry out additional construction, repairs or changes without prior permission of civic officials," said Gangadhare.
Congress members in the civic improvement committee, however, alleged that the proposal was cleared in haste as the BJP wants to "derive benefits" in the civic election, scheduled to be held on February 21.
Congress Corporator and member of the civic improvement committee, Mohsin Haider, said, "The proposal needs to be approved by the general body, and now the code of conduct has already come into force. Now, there will be no general body and the proposal may not get cleared."
He added that the BJP-led committee brought in the proposal in a hurry to woo Marathi voters in the civic election.
Gangadhare, however, refuted allegations that the proposal was introduced for political mileage.
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