‘We’ll make up for governance deficit of 25 years & will transform Mumbai in 5 years’: CM Eknath Shinde in TOI interview

Dy CM Eknath Shinde has been fighting not just the rival Shiv Sena (UBT)-MNS combine but also taking on alliance partner BJP in places like Navi Mumbai and Ambernath. He spoke to TOI on the civic polls in Mumbai and elsewhere. Excerpts:

Q: You have been talking about the central park at Mahalaxmi racecourse for a year. By when will the park be ready?


A: The detailed project report is ready. The underpass tender is in its final stages, and tender will be floated and actual work will begin soon. For the central park, a tender will be floated within 100 days once a Mahayuti mayor is anointed.




Q: You have announced an amnesty scheme for buildings without occupation certificates, but there are fears there may be hurdles at the lower level.

A: We will make a zone-wise single window desk to help residents, so there will be a singlewindow clearance system in the BMC, seamless and smooth. This is a scheme I’m keen to see through.

Q: There are many allegations being made against you by BJP ministers, who are your cabinet colleagues. You had said in the past that allies must follow alliance dharma. Are they following it in the current context, especially Ganesh Naik?

A: People have been making allegations for 3.5 years. I don’t pay attention to these things. I focus on my work.

Q: It took you over a week to finalise seat-sharing for the BMC polls. Have you spoken to BJP about power-sharing?

A: No talks on power-sharing. Our first agenda is to make Mahayuti win. There is an NDA govt at the Centre, a Mahayuti one in the state, so there is need for Mahayuti in BMC for development. We are making all roads cement concrete and pothole-free, we are making sewage treatment plants. Why didn’t they do all this in 25 years? They were letting sewage water go into the sea. We will make up for the governance deficit of 25 years in BMC. We have covered a lot of ground in 3.5 years. In 5 years, we will transform Mumbai with projects like VersovaBhayander sea link, Goregaon-Mulund Link Road. We will decongest Western Express Highway. In eastern suburbs, we’ll extend Eastern Freeway, and build the ‘Orange Gate to Marine Drive’ tunnel, so we have a new network of coastal roads, like ring roads. It will save time. People will be able to reach anywhere in minutes, not hours.

Q: Raj Thackeray has made allegations against an industrialist and made a presentation.

A:We have replied to them at our Shivaji Park rally. Who was the CM when Navi Mumbai airport was given to Adani and when Dharavi redevelopment project was given to Adani? You (Uddhav Thackeray) removed a company called SecLink and gave the work to Adani. So when you are in power, you have one stand and when you are not, you have another. These are double standards. The CM has spoken about how Adani is investing in other states too. You say investors are not coming to Maharashtra and then make allegations against investors and industrialists. You don’t invest here, you invest in London. But you target investors in Maharashtra. We are not giving lands to anyone arbitrarily. There was an open tender for Dharavi. When Uddhavji was CM, he only gave homes to eligible residents. I took the decision to give homes to ineligible residents too.

Q: Have you told the CM about the ‘unfriendly’ fight in Navi Mumbai? What happened in Ambernath, where BJP attempted a coup on Shiv Sena and aligned with Congress? Did you express any displeasure to the CM?

A: I have a dialogue with the CM. We speak on everything. We are in constant dialogue. Forget Navi Mumbai, people make all kinds of allegations. The CM knows what is happening. Even he doesn’t agree with or like certain things.

Q: Will all this have an impact on the BMC polls?

A: Issues of Mumbai are different. We have decided we will make Mumbai an international city. PM Modi has said several times that if we have to become the 3rd or 2nd largest economy, Mumbai’s contribution is required. That is why he said make Mumbai a fintech capital, audio-visual (industry) capital. He is giving importance to Mumbai, but these people (Thackerays) are saying BJP will break Mumbai. The PM has given Rs 10 lakh crore to Mumbai.

Q: So what is your response to the Thackerays?

A: They have nothing else to say, so as a last resort, they are trying emotional blackmail in the name of the Marathi manoos. They have spoken about Vadhavan port. There will be an airport and logistic parks (there), it will bring jobs to lakhs. But they are saying Mumbai will be linked to Gujarat. People will not fall prey to this emotional blackmail. People will not vote on emotions but on development. They want amenities.