What have you done for your constituency in the past five years?
Improving the quality of life of the people has been my priority. We have worked on developing several internal roads that were in poor condition. Work on 40-50 per cent of these roads has already been completed and we plan to do the remaining work after the elections. Not just roads, we are also focussing on pavements to make life easy for pedestrians.
Second, this area has a number of old and crumbling buildings. Here, the residents suffer because of the lack of facilities. We have helped them by improving their drainage system and providing them with toilets. We helping them with repair work through MHADA as well as through the MLA fund. While the cops ensure that we sleep peacefully at night, their homes are in a shambles. We are working towards improving facilities for them, while looking to develop and provide state-of-the-art facilities at the Police Colony in Prabhadevi.
Does this include providing access to toilets?
We have repaired several toilets in the constituency. However, we are also looking at providing public toilets for women, as there aren't proper facilities for them.
You have been vocal about your plans to beautify your constituency. How are you doing this?
The first plan is to give Dadar Chowpatty a facelift. Earlier, it was possible to walk from Prabhadevi to Mahim Fort. However, since the construction of the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, the Mithi River has changed its course after land was reclaimed. This has resulted in the beach disappearing, particularly during high tide. During the monsoon, water levels can reach up to Veer Savarkar Road, which is alarming, as there are several homes, including the Mayor's Bungalow in the area. We were forced to close this road for three hours for six-seven times this year due to rising water levels. With the help of the Maritime Board, we are constructing a wall, which will start from Chaitya Bhoomi and end at Mahim Fort. This project will be done in phases, with the first two phases, ending at Hinduja Hospital, in the process of clearance. Once it is done, the beautification will be carried out using the MLA fund. The plan includes setting up benches and solar lights to enjoy the view of the sea.
How MNS is improving the Shivaji Park and the area around it?
As part of Rajsaheb's (Thackeray) vision, we carried out a rainwater harvesting project using MLA funds. This has been a success as Mumbai gets adequate rain, but the water drains into the sea. Under the facility, we can collect 16 crore litres of water. This has seen an increase in the water table. A lot of potable water is also being saved as it is no longer used to keep the ground green. If people employ rainwater harvesting across the city, Mumbai will never face a water cut. The garden at Shivaji Park is being maintained with the help of MLA funds. In addition, we are working with corporates (as part of their CSR drive) to develop and beautify traffic islands as well as maintaining them. We developed many gardens in the area. The places may be small, but they are green, which is good for the environment.
What about redevelopment of residential buildings at Shivaji Park?
It is very unfortunate to categorise the homes at Shivaji Park as Heritage I structure. CST station, the BMC building, the police headquarters and several similar structures in Fort can be included under this category as they were built in the 19th century. However, these buildings were constructed between 1930s and 1940s. Because of this grading, the helpless residents cannot go for any redevelopment. We have raised the issue several times in the assembly. We even encouraged the residents to take the matter to court. We expect a positive result.
What is on your agenda for the next five years?
Besides continuing the work that we have carried out, we are looking towards further beautification of the constituency. Another key factor we are looking at – and this is at a state-level – is to provide employment for local youth.
