Mumbai has gardens, Mumbaikars don't: Mayor Sunil Prabhu

Mumbai has 1051 existing plots that can be developed as gardens as per the information released by municipal joint commissioner SS Shinde Yet the cityrsquos mayor mdash backed by the ruling party in the BMC the Shiv Sena mdash is bent on acquiring the Mahalaxmi Racecourse purportedly to build a garden perhaps name it after Bal Thackeray He is doing this for the common Mumbaikar he claims Yesterday afternoon immediately after group leaders in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation passed a resolution asking the state government not to extend the lease of the Mahalaxmi Racecourse and let the BMC develop a garden there MiD DAY caught up with Mayor Sunil Prabhu the author of the current controversy PicSayed Sameer Abediu00a0 Are you out to prove that you are not a lsquorubberstamprsquo mayor with special reference to the letters you have written to the chief minister and the municipal corporation Your predecessors were never seen writing so many letters I wouldnrsquot like to compare myself with anyone But I would like to point out that the Constitution has given me in my capacity as Mumbairsquos mayor the right to meet the CM governor and ministers and that is what I am doing I am trying to do things for the benefit of the citizens of Mumbai and I am doing what I am supposed to do sitting in the mayorrsquos chair Coming to the issue of racecourse where did you get the idea of writing to the government and asking it not to extend the lease Regarding the racecourse therersquos a decision that has to be taken by the government and being the mayor I thought of writing to the government But why all of a sudden For all these years the BMC never wrote any letters asking not to extend the lease I have been in the BMCrsquos improvements committee for seven years and as per my experience many decision are dependent on the state government Hence when I felt the need of the lease I wrote a letter to the chief minister Where did the idea of not extending the lease originate When there was a discussion over the lease of the racecourse what hit me was what are we giving Mumbaikars We should give something to the common citizens therersquos a need for open space something where they can go and sit Also we will benefit in terms of tourism if we have an international park All this was in my heart then I went and discussed it with my party chief Uddhav saheb Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray and he also agreed on this Whenever I do anything for Mumbaikars I do it from my heart and for this I am ready to face any criticism So you discussed the matter with Uddhav Thackeray before writing the letter Yes I did and not only regarding the racecourse When I do anything for Mumbai and Mumbaikars even before taking an ordinary decision I ask Uddhavji go meet him at Matoshree I speak to Aadityaji I even take the leader of the house into confidence and convince the commissioner Only then do I take any decision You plan to make another garden at the racecourse but there are already so many gardens in the city Why target the racecourse Mumbai has gardens but common Mumbaikars donrsquot have anywhere to go to on a holiday where they can spend the whole day In foreign countries there are so many worldclass gardens where people can go and spend time I think if we have a similar garden in Mumbai the common man would go there It would benefit the tourism sector and also the environment because new plants would be planted But the Mahalaxmi Racecourse has been synonymous with Mumbai for decades now Itrsquos been there since before independence Horses have been racing there If the government still wants horseracing then the CM should find a suitable place outside Mumbai for it For Mumbaikars the primary requirement is open space Of the nearly 245 acres of the racecourse 30 per cent belongs to the BMC Are you asking for only your land We are not asking for only BMCrsquos share We want the entire racecourse land We want the whole plot so an international garden can be created for Mumbaikars After you wrote the letter another controversy has erupted Therersquos talk of a plan to build a memorial to Bal Thackeray Even Uddhav Thackeray has mentioned that the garden be named after the deceased Sena supremo Uddhavji has categorically mentioned that when we made the proposal to the government there was no intention of naming the garden But he has welcomed the request of the people asking to name the garden after Balasaheb I wouldnrsquot like to comment more on what my party chief has already said He said what we wanted to and to whom he wanted In that case do you want a Bal Thackeray memorial in the garden similar to the one being planned for B R Ambedkar in Dadar Our proposal is only about a garden of international level where the common Mumbaikar can go and spend some time Whatrsquos your definition of lsquointernational gardenrsquo The way international gardens exist across the world with less of construction and more of plants and landscaping a pond somewhere people can go and spend quality time That is our main intention You are sure there would be nothing except for the garden Yes What happened to the memorial of Bal Thackeray at Dadar The plan doesnrsquot seem to be working Will there be a memorial for him in Mumbai The party and senior leaders will decide that I think we need a memorial for Balasaheb depicting all aspects of his life from a cartoonist to a humble human being and a great politician However where to build it would be decided by the party chief Uddhavji There wouldnrsquot even be a statue in the garden I would like to clarify that when we thought about the garden it was only with the idea of providing the city and its residents with open space nothing else How much area do you think would be required for such a memorial The party chief and senior leaders will decide when and where to have the memorial Donrsquot you think your letter created unwanted controversy Whatever I do I do it for the common Mumbaikar The decision was taken in consultation with my party chief The public knows that I am working for them What if the state government extends the lease Then BMC would take its part of land I expect that the state government would take a decision that benefits the common Mumbaikaru00a0