Maharashtra government now stays plans for aquarium on Worli dairy land

MUMBAI: A senior bureaucrat confirmed to TOI that the state government had stayed the decision to transfer land to the Urban Development (UD) department for an aquarium on Worli dairy land. "The government will now think about what it wants to do with it or whether to construct an aquarium. The land was to be transferred to the UD and BMC was to build the aquarium," the bureaucrat said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former minister Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday had alleged that the Shinde-Fadnavis government had scrapped a decision to construct the aquarium and instead formed a committee to auction the plot to builders. Aaditya said the 'unconstitutional' government was selling Mumbai.
The previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had decided to convert the sprawling 14.5-acre dairy land into a marine research centre, a world-class aquarium and an exhibition centre. Then CM Uddhav Thackeray had directed the urban development department to change the land reservation too.
"I am hearing that the khoke sarkar has formed a committee to put the plot in some builder's kitty by scrapping our decision to build an aquarium, open spaces and urban forest for Mumbaikars! Our anger is being directed at Mumbai, they are selling Mumbai! I'm told that a committee has been formed consisting of a few ministers to change the use of Worli Dairy from aquarium, open space & urban forest, as proposed by us, to 'other purposes'. This illegal govt will probably auction it to commercial or builder interests," Aaditya tweeted.
"The unconstitutional government must come clean on this. It cannot sell Mumbai for its selfish interests. We need open spaces and tourist places," Aaditya, a former tourism minister said.
Earlier this year, reservation in the Development Plan (DP) shown as 'dairy' was proposed to be deleted and part of the land was reserved as 'marine research institute, aquarium, exhibition centre'. The proposal was cleared by the civic improvements committee.
Deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said he would check if any decision on the dairy was taken, while tourism minister Mangal Lodha said he was not aware of any decision or committee.