The Shiv Sena’s ambitious project to convert the Mahalaxmi race course into a theme park is far from becoming a reality as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has made it clear that there is no plan to develop a park on the land.
In a reply to Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale’s proposal to build a theme park in the name of late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, the BMC has written back, saying the state government is yet to take a decision on the same.
Shewale proposed to take back the land belonging to the BMC from the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) which had been given to them on lease for 99 years. The lease expired in 2013. About 8lakh sq m of the land is owned by the BMC and the state.
“After the lease expired, the club management approached us for an extension. However, the mayor has also put forth a proposal to convert the race course into an international theme park. As the major portion of the land belongs to the state, we have sent it a report detailing the extension of lease issue and the demands made by Sena leaders,” said a senior civic official.
“However, we have not received a reply. A decision will be taken only after the state sends us a detailed report on all the issues,” he added.
The civic body said the state asked for details from land records related to the race course, however, the concerned department has not provided the documents.
In February, the leader of the house Trushna Vishwasrao had written another letter to the municipal commissioner, asking him to speed up the process of taking over the land from the RWITC.
Vishwasrao wrote that converting the race course into a central park was the late Balasaheb Thackeray’s dream and so the civic body should start work as soon as possible.
In a reply to Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale’s proposal to build a theme park in the name of late Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, the BMC has written back, saying the state government is yet to take a decision on the same.
Shewale proposed to take back the land belonging to the BMC from the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) which had been given to them on lease for 99 years. The lease expired in 2013. About 8lakh sq m of the land is owned by the BMC and the state.
“After the lease expired, the club management approached us for an extension. However, the mayor has also put forth a proposal to convert the race course into an international theme park. As the major portion of the land belongs to the state, we have sent it a report detailing the extension of lease issue and the demands made by Sena leaders,” said a senior civic official.
“However, we have not received a reply. A decision will be taken only after the state sends us a detailed report on all the issues,” he added.
The civic body said the state asked for details from land records related to the race course, however, the concerned department has not provided the documents.
In February, the leader of the house Trushna Vishwasrao had written another letter to the municipal commissioner, asking him to speed up the process of taking over the land from the RWITC.
Vishwasrao wrote that converting the race course into a central park was the late Balasaheb Thackeray’s dream and so the civic body should start work as soon as possible.