Friday, Apr 19, 2024 | Last Update : 04:06 AM IST
BJP’s U-turn on coastal road
The chief minister had said all permissions for ambitious project have been secured; But now the party says 1 or 2 are still pending.
Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has come under attack after it came to light that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who BJP is projecting as the face of its campaign for the upcoming elections, allegedly misinformed when he said last year that all permissions regarding the coastal road in Mumbai have been cleared by the Centre.
The BJP did not include the ambitious coastal road project in its manifesto for the upcoming elections, but the party’s manifesto committee chief Bhalchandra Shirsat has said the project will be completed in three years after securing one or two permissions that are pending. The opposition has slammed BJP over the issue, saying the party, calling the Fadnavis government an “event management government” that only makes tall claims.
The Asian Age had reported on February 9, 2016 that the coastal road did not find a mention in BJP’s manifesto.
On June 8, 2015, Mr Fadnavis had claimed in Delhi that all permissions regarding the coastal road in Mumbai have been cleared by the Centre’s environment ministry. He had said, “I want to thank (Union environment and forest) minister Prakash Javadekarji for granting permission for coastal road. By August 15, 2015, process of permission will be completed with notification.”
However, facts seem to be at odds with Mr Fadnavis’s claim. Though BJP did not mention the coastal road in its vision for the city, the party’s manifesto committee chief Bhalchandra Shirsat said it is very much there in the party’s “promise list” to Mumbaikars. He said, “We will complete the project (after securing the) remaining one or two permissions in three years.” However, this means the party seems to acknowledge that some permissions are still not in hand to start work on the ground.
Raising questions over Mr Fadnavis’ earlier claim, leader of opposition in the Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil said, “This proves our charge on the Fadnavis government as an event management government. They keep making events of everything but do not complete any given promise. They are fooling people over tall claims and the coastal road is the best example of it.”
The Asian Age contacted Mr Fadnavis for his comment on the issue. The CM assured he would reply in three days, but did not.
