Tussle over club for BMC officials

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) standing committee on Wednesday witnessed a huge ruckus over the proposal to construct a gymkhana for municipal officers at Mahalaxmi as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded that the place should be used to build mayor’s residence. Despite the BJP’s strong protests, the proposal was passed by the ruling Shiv Sena with the help of Congress and Nationalist Congress Party. Interestingly, the proposal was put to the vote twice in the standing committee meeting.

The BMC has proposed to build a gymkhana for municipal officers on a 1242 sq mt land near Lala Lajpat Rai College at Mahalaxmi at the cost of `49.17 crore. For the construction of the gymkhana, two dilapidated buildings on the plot will be demolished. The project includes construction of a protection wall, swimming pool, sports room, gymnasium, canteen, multi-purpose hall, badminton court, squash court along with facilities like an air-conditioning system, fire-fighting system, LED lamps etc. The project work will be undertaken after the state government approves the Development Plan (DP).

Raising the issue in the standing committee, BJP group leader Manoj Kotak said, “The issue of future mayor’s residence has not been sorted out yet. Mahalaxmi is an ideal place for it as it is easily reachable by western and eastern suburbs.”

The BJP corporators also said that the proposal to build a gymkhana would face hurdles due to coastal regulation zone (CRZ). As the land falls in the CRZ area, the BMC will have to seek permission from the Centre, due to which the project cost is expected to rise, they said.

The BJP corporators demanded a voting on the proposal. During the voting, they alleged that Sena and other corporators did not raise their hands while approving it. Hence, it was again put to the vote and later passed. Protesting this, the BJP corporators staged a walkout from the meeting.