Mumbai: BJP away as Shiv Sena breaks ground for coastal road project

Shiv Sena kept the Bharatiya Janata Party away from the groundbreaking of the coastal road project on Sunday, yet it reminded the BJP-led state government about its assurance that it would develop the eastern waterfront and give certain tax exemptions.

The sod-cutting for the Rs 12,670-crore coastal road project was performed by Sena president Uddhav Thackeray in the presence of his party's parliamentarians, legislators and corporators — who have a majority in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation — as well as BMC boss Ajoy Mehta.

There wasn't any representative from the BJP.

Thackeray seized upon the chance to taunt BJP when Mehta remarked on the transparency of the project work. The Sena chief said: "The coastal road project was transparent; its bidding documents were put up in every country through Indian ambassadors. Whoever has not seen this transparent process in our country, I hope they have at least seen it from foreign tours."

But Thackeray praised the state and central governments for granting speedy nods to the project. "Now we expect they will keep their promise and exempt small houses up to 500 sq feet from property tax. We already passed the proposal in the BMC and sent it to the urban development department. Even the Eastern Waterfront project on 900 acres along the coast is pending," Thackeray said.

Thackeray assured the fishing community that they would not be affected by coastal construction and their concerns would be addressed. The remark came as MNS chief Raj Thackeray visited Worli Koliwada on Sunday morning.

Civic chief Mehta said; "The road construction has cost Rs 8,429 crore. Another Rs 4,000 crore will go in sundry taxes. The project, which will take four years, will provide 90 acres of open space, parking for 1,650 vehicles, and help control flooding."

MONEY ON THE LINE

• Cost of coastal road project has bumped up to Rs 8,429 cr (without taxes) from August 2017 estimate of Rs 4,816 cr 
   
• BMC says escalation due to water, sewerage taxes, supervision cost 
   
• More costs: Rs 10 cr for a garden; Rs 175 crore to preserve coast; Rs 124 cr to move utilities