Sena leader threatened me: Balbhavan director

In life Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray remained a polarising figure And even after his death the mercurial neta has not stopped making news courtesy some of his party colleagues MiD DAY had reported yesterday lsquoPlease donrsquot take our playgroundrsquo about the dissenting voices from among the youngest of the populace against Pune Municipal Corporationrsquos decision to develop a Bal Thackeray memorial on a part of the Garware Balbhavan playground Many children and their parents have communicated their disapproval of the proposal to municipal commissioner Mahesh Pathak in the last few days Playtime Kids play at the Garware Balbhavan playground inset Shobha Bhagwat founderdirector of Balbhavan File Pic Now founderdirector of Balbhavan Shobha Bhagwat has alleged that Shiv Senarsquos group leader in the civic body Ashok Harnawal threatened her on February 18 demanding the organisation vacate the place Harnawal who has been fighting for the memorial had earlier too asked for the Balbhavan land to be vacated as the contract between Om Charit Trust and PMC expired in 2009 MiD DAYrsquos article yesterday highlighting the issue File Pics Bhagwat said ldquoHarnawal came to Balbhavan on Monday afternoon and warned me that he will not let us stay here lsquoIf you do not allow us to construct the memorial and art gallery in the name of Bal Thackeray we will not let you live in this placersquo were his exact wordsrdquo She conceded that the agreement between the civic body and Om Charitable Trust of the Garwares ended in 2009 and PMC is planning to float another tender ldquoHarnawal warned me that if we for instance quote Rs 100 he will pay 50000 to get the place from PMC lsquoWe can run Balbhavan by charging a small amount like Rs 50 each from the kids I would help you get another fiveyear term at the place if you cooperate with me I am also ready to bear the cost of new toys for the kids if there is an understanding between usrsquo is what Harnawal told merdquo said Bhagwat adding ldquoWe are not charging Rs 500 as fee from the childrenrdquo When contacted Dr Neelam Gorhe MLC and spokesperson Shiv Sena refused to intervene in the matter ldquoWe shall accept the decision taken by PMC and the political group leaders together There are two tracts of land and PMC is the final authority It is impossible that that Harnawal threatened Bhagwatrdquo she said Noted cartoonist and social activist Mangesh Tendulkar backed the Balbhavan playground and said ldquoThis is not the place for constructing a memorial for Bal Thackeray Shiv Sena should look for another option Balasaheb had great affection for kids and he would have never allowed such a projectrdquo Shobhana Ranade veteran Gandhian activist and Trustee ofGandhi National Memorial Society remarked ldquoPMC is wrong in taking the land back I am supporting Balbhavan as the cause is very dear to my heart Children need to play and therefore the playground should not get encroached PMC should not forget that kids are the most important part of societyrdquo ldquoThis is nothing but an attack on childrenrsquos growth and development Playgrounds are oxygen for any city and there are very few at this moment It is wrong to acquire the land for a memorial this can be done elsewhere In addition Balbhavan is a pioneering organisation for Maharashtra and has already become a movement It is ethically wrong to attack this movementrdquo veteran activist Vidya Bal said What municipal commissioner said ldquoWe are not asking for the entire land The backside has not been given to Balbhavan We had given the tract at the front of the building for the playground on minimal rate of Rs 11015 per year whereas Balbhavan is charging Rs 500 from each child The contract of using the land is already over Wersquoll make a new contract which will be as per fresh set of rules This is PMCrsquos land and I have to look into the term and conditions that existed earlier Similarly Shiv Sena had asked for a part of the land for an art gallery The issue has to be tackled by the respective departments like building permission and land acquisition Shiv Sena has to decide whether that plot is adequate for them or notrdquo Mahesh Pathak had told MiD DAY as reported in our February 19 article Civic chief speaks ldquoWe are not asking for the entire land The backside has not been given to Balbhavan We had given the tract at the front of the building for the playground on minimal rate of Rs 11015 per year whereas Balbhavan is charging Rs 500 from each child The contract of using the land is already over Wersquoll make a new contract which will be as per fresh set of rules This is Pune Municipal Corporationrsquos land and I have to look into the term and conditions that existed earlier Similarly Shiv Sena had asked for a part of the land for an art gallery The issue has to be tackled by the respective departments like building permission and land acquisition Shiv Sena has to decide whether that plot is adequate for them or notrdquo Mahesh Pathak had told MiD DAY as reported in our February 19 articleu00a0 PMCrsquos runins with BalBhavan gtgt Vilas Wadekar former Congress corporator wanted to convert the place into a junk market He had made an open declaration in 1988 gtgtu00a0Congressled PMC wanted to use the place for a ropeway station for Parvati hills in 1990 gtgtu00a0PMC had planned to use the land for Rajarshi Shahu Memorial in 1994 gtgtu00a0Water supply was stopped by PMC in 2007 allegedly without informing the authorities of Garware Balbhavan The other side Meanwhile when contacted Harnawal rejected Bhagwatrsquos allegations and said ldquoI was just explaining to her that Balbhavan is using the land despite the agreement having expired in 2009 Backyard of the building is reserved for commercial purposes by PMC and therefore we are using it for the Thackery memorialrdquo maintaining that the memorial and art gallery was a commercial preposition ldquoThe memorial requires 20 Guntha of land and we are not touching the remaining 22 Guntha of Balbhavanrdquo he claimed