Mumbai: A controversial project to develop nearly 300 acres as the Mumbai Central Public Park on the lines of the Central Park in New York or the one in London was cleared by the Maharashtra government Wednesday.
The government has now transferred 120 acres of the Mahalaxmi Racecourse to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for developing the Mumbai Central Public Park. The move came after the lease between the government and the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) Ltd., which has been operating the racecourse for over a century, expired.
Of the total 211 acres of the racecourse, the remaining 91 acres are still with the RWITC, with its new lease agreement with the government valid from 1 June 2023 to 31 May 2053.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, BMC officials and members of Royal Western Turf signed the lease agreement late Tuesday night.
The BMC administration will now “speed up the development of an international-standard ‘Mumbai Central Public Park’, spanning approximately 300 acres and modelled after Central Parks in New York and London”, a BMC press note said Wednesday.
Mumbai Central Public Park will include another 175 acres from the Mumbai Coastal Road Project, which lies adjacent to the racecourse.
The BMC said there will not be any commercial or business activities permitted in the park, meant strictly for public use.
“This project will expand Mumbai’s green cover from the current 3,917 acres to 4,212 acres. Importantly, dedicating 300 acres to green space will significantly contribute to Mumbai’s environmental conservation efforts,” the BMC press note stated.
However, opposition parties, especially the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Bal Thackeray, have opposed the project.
On his social media X post, Aditya Thackeray wrote, “I understand from committee members of the racecourse, that it has been forced on to them by the BJP- mindhe regime.”
“The BJP-mindhe regime is out to gulp our city’s open spaces and will find a space for their favourite builders and contractors to enter. People with zero trustworthiness and maximum greed, cannot be trusted with our state,” Aaditya Thackeray added in the post.
Developed in 1883, the Mahalaxmi Racecourse is a horse-racing track facing the sea in the heart of Mumbai.
In January-end this year, the RWITC put to vote a proposal to transform the 140-year-old racecourse before its 1,718 members at a general body meeting. The main decisions at that meeting were that the civic body would renew the RWITC land lease for the next 30 years, permit the club to build a new clubhouse, i.e., a new recreation facility for its members, and allow repair work in the premises.
Slamming the new lease terms in his X post, Aaditya Thackeray promised to look into the matter if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government came to power in Maharashtra after the state election later this year.
His government, Aaditya Thackeray said, would ensure there is no construction on or below the racecourse land, protect the heritage clubhouse, stands and other structures, and develop only landscaped gardens on the land, minus any structures.
Under the new lease agreement, the government will give Rs 100 crore to RWITC to build an extended part of the current stable.
Aaditya Thackeray said that his government will ensure that the BMC does not have to spend money on stables. “The current regime wants to spend Rs 100 crore on stables of horses owned by private individuals,” he said in his X post, promising to “investigate thoroughly the committee that has agreed to this agreement and their possible other interests that may have been saved/ supported by being hand in glove with the govt”.
“We will also scrap the membership clause, which was put in, almost like a bribe for the regime,” Aaditya Thackeray further wrote.
According to the lease terms, the CM can nominate 50 people for free life membership in the first year and three persons every year after that.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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The proposed park should outshine New York’s Central park in all aspects.