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ShareThey accuse her NGO of misrepresenting facts to promote village as heritage structure
The rift between factions fighting over the heritage status of Pali Village in Bandra (West) seems to be getting wider. While one faction has emphatically rejected the heritage tag for the village, the other wants the 300-year-old gaothan to be a model heritage locality.
What is common to both, however, are the allegations and counter-allegations hurled at each other.
Ever since the village was considered for heritage listing by the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC), some residents of the village have strongly opposed the idea.
Members of Pali Village Residents' Civic Forum (PVRCF) also want to be left alone by celebrity NGOs like Citispace and Shaina NC's I Love Mumbai, which are allegedly misrepresenting facts about the gaothan to the municipal authorities.
"Why should outsiders like Shaina NC and Vidya Vaidya interfere in our matter? Who are they to ask for a heritage status? Do they even know how difficult it is to get permission for minor repairs from MHCC?" said Theressa Aguiar, a member of PVRCF.
Calling Pali Village as a gaothan having independent homes, residents say that it falls out of the ambit of heritage structures.
"Vested interests want to stall development in the name of heritage and force us to sell our cottages. We are for sustainable development under the legal applicable laws," said Asif Farooqui, general secretary of PVRCF.
However, a section of residents has defended the heritage tag for the village. "For structures classified as grade III, one can remove tiles, mend the roof and make minor repairs. These do not require MHCC permissions. Why should we not have heritage status, then?" said Neil Pereira, a resident.
He called Farooqui an outsider and alleged that he had vested interests in wanting to construct a tower.
"Why are we not involved in PVRCF meetings? He did not give any details of funds collected during film shoots. He should step down. He is affiliated with the Congress, and is trying to create a rift between the residents of the village," said Pereira.
