Fisher men want NC PA Talkies garden shifted

The National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) management set up a garden four months ago behind NCPA Talkies at Nariman Point, which has been proving an obstacle for the fishermen in their day-to-day works.

In view of the problems, the Akhil Maharashtra Macchimar Kruti Samiti chairman, Damodar Tandel, has demanded to shift the garden elsewhere or else they would approach a court.

Tandel said in a meeting on May 31, 2017, headed by Fisheries Minister Arjun Khotkar, 41 fishermen and boat owners at Girgaon Chowpatty were shifted to NCPA Talkies, Nariman Point. At this place, the NCPA Talkies management erected an iron compound and made a garden, creating troubles for the fishermen, who have been finding it difficult to do their work, as the the garden comes in the way and poses passage issues. So, the fishermen want open space not a garden.

“The NCPA management has said the assistant commissioner of the BMC A ward had given permission to build a garden at the place. The plot comes under the jurisdiction of the office of the Mumbai District Collector, and as a planning authority, the MMRDA has a development right on the land. Then, how can BMC approve the garden,” asked Tandel.

“The garden was unauthorised and created obstacles. Thus, the fishermen are finding it difficult to carry out their day-to-day works. Therefore, we are demanding an investigation in this matter and the plot should be clear for our passage. Otherwise, we will take the issue to the court of law,” said Tandel.

The NCPA management has blocked the area by setting up the garden and fencing the area, he said.