Demands Aditya at meeting with CM; racecourse also discussed
In the wake of the Pathankot terrorist attack, Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray on Tuesday met chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and drew his attention to the lack of security at the Juhu aerodrome. He demanded CISF security cover at Juhu aerodrome and the CM has agreed to take up the issue with the central government.
“I met the CM to discuss two major issues. One was the lack of security at the Juhu aerodrome and the other was the proposed garden at the Racecourse. I had written to the Central government in 2014 about the need to deploy security personal at the aerodrome, which is vulnerable to terrorism. We need to have CISF protection at such a sensitive place,” Mr Thackeray said after meeting the CM.
“Juhu aerodrome urgently needs CISF cover to avoid terrorist attacks through that installation,” he added. According to Mr Thackeray, Mr Fadnavis has agreed to act upon his request.
Regarding Shiv Sena’s proposal to convert the Racecourse at Mahalaxmi into a public park, Mr Thackeray said the 226-acre racecourse area in the heart of Mumbai is a beautiful open space. “Like most cities around the world, a space outside the city can be allotted for the racecourse,” he said.
Shiv Sena has demanded that BMC must not renew the 100-year-lease for the racecourse held by the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC). A proposal to convert the Racecourse into a public park was also tabled in the general body meeting of the BMC two years ago. The approved proposal was then sent to the state government. However, the then Congress-NCP government had not taken any decision on it.
In the meeting, Mr Thackeray also urged the CM to take a decision to handover the Western Express Highway to a single authority, the BMC, for maintenance. “The WEH has different areas of jurisdictions of the NHAI, PWD, MSRDC, MMRDA etc. while there is no coordination on maintenance and repair,” he said.
