WON’T GIVE AN INCH IN SOUTH MUMBAI TO NAVY, SAYS GADKARI
MUMBAI: Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday criticised the navy for opposing construction of a jetty at Nariman Point.
The Bombay high court this week had refused permission to a private company to construct the jetty on the grounds that it did not have the requisite no objection certificate (NOC) from the Western Naval Command.
According to Gadkari, the jetty did not pose any security risk. “What has the Navy got to do with Malabar Hill? They should be guarding the borders,” said Gadkari at a function, where he laid the foundation stone for an international cruise terminal at Mumbai port on Thursday.
“These Navy officers want to get houses in south Mumbai. I do not entertain them,” said Gadkari. “They came to me asking for a plot. I will not give them an inch,” said Gadkari. He said anyone who has problems should come to him because he heads the committee for stalled infrastructure projects and he will get things sorted with the defence ministry. “We are the government. The navy and defence ministry are not the government,” he added.
He said a few senior officials can stay in south Mumbai, but the port land development, in collaboration with Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) and the state government, was for local citizens.
Gadkari made these remarks in the presence of Western Naval Command chief Vice Admiral Girish Luthra and several naval officials. The navy has a sizeable presence in south Mumbai as the headquarters of Western Naval command as well as the naval colony, Navy Nagar, is at Colaba.
Accusing Gadkari of insulting the navy, Congress’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the “pseudo-nationalist” BJP now wanted to give “certificates of loyalty” to armed forces.
As part of Gadkari’s plan to promote tourism, Rashmi Development Pvt Ltd had proposed to build a jetty to ferry its passengers to its proposed floating hotel in the Arabian Sea. An HC-appointed committee had opposed it saying the jetty would create traffic problems on Marine Drive and also hamper the ambience.
The firm them approached the Bombay HC challenging the committee’s recommendation. A division bench rejected the petition filed by Rashmi Developments, observing that the order passed by the committee was not without grounds.
The bench also rejected the private firm’s claim that the Western Naval Command and the Coast Guard had accorded their respective NOCs for constructing a floating jetty opposite NCPA at Nariman Point .