Mayor rakes up Race Course row, again

Even though the state government made its stand clear that it would not allow any changes in the Race Course land, Shiv Sena leader and Mumbai Mayor Sunil Prabhu on Tuesday raked up a controversy by saying that his party is still mulling over reclaiming the state government’s part and turning it into an international theme park. The state government owns one-third of the Race Course land i.e. 6 lakh square metres.

Prabhu said there will be no construction for the international park so as to meet the norms of the Coastal regulation Zone (CRZ) and the heritage committee. The Race Course falls under Grade II (B) category of the heritage list. No construction will be allowed on the same as it also falls under the CRZ.

Civic activists have also voiced their concern against turning an open space right in the middle of the city into a theme park which will attract nothing but pollution.

Nayana Kathpalia, convenor of CITISPACE an NGO which fights for open space in the city, said Shiv Sena–BJP leaders have already hogged at least 10 open plots and have turned them into the clubs where they don’t give entry to general public. Why don’t they turn them into parks for people.

“It’s very bad idea. No argument stands here. It’s mindless exercise to try and turn a race course into a theme park which will automatically stop free public entry. Theme park doesn’t come free. It’s a nicer way to earn revenue and turn an open space into a crowded place. There is no open space in Mahalaxmi, Malabar Hill, Tardeo and surrounding areas.
They need this piece of land,” said Kathpalia.

In June this year, Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had met chief minister Prithviraj Chavan with a request to quash the lease and had presented a plan of the park that would replace the race course. “Myself, leader of the House, standing committee chairman were present in the meeting along with other Sena leaders. We had shown our plans and had assured the CM that no construction will be included in the theme park,” said Prabhu.

However, the CM had made his stand clear on the issue. He had stated that the state was not considering any such proposal.