Mumbai: An agreement has been reached between the government and RWITC over rececource land for a theme park, said sources, but it will need to be ratified by 75% of the club’s 2,000-plus voting members. The RWITC is planning to hold an extraordinary general meeting to get its members’ nod. The meeting may be held in the third week of January, sources said, adding CM Eknath Shinde has asked BMC chief (now administrator) I S Chahal to be present at the meeting to explain the plan to the members.
The racecourse has a 226-acre area, and 70% of land belongs to the state government and 30% to the BMC.It is unclear yet exactly how much land the club will have to part with if the plan goes through.
Sources said the government has agreed that during the entire exercise it proposes to carry out, racing activities will not be affected in any way.
Talks on the issue have been on between the government and RWITC for a while. In October 2023, Mumbai city guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar had said both RWITC and the proposed park can co-exist and a part of the racecourse would be converted into a theme park and a Ferris wheel modelled on London Eye would be erected on the sprawl.
While Chahal didn’t reply to a query from TOI, the proposed plan came in for criticism from the opposition and from a group of walkers.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray alleged racecourse land will be developed into a hotel, buildings and commercial space. “Speaking of the AQI of our city and open spaces, I hear that once again this illegal regime of Shinde-BJP is wanting to take over the racecourse at Mahalaxmi, Worli and then apparently “develop” it with a hotel, buildings and commercial space. It is learnt that a builder friend of the illegal CM has been threatening and arm-twisting the racecourse management into signing an MoU which will give some land for racing and take the rest away for the so called development,” Aaditya, under whose Worli constituency the racecourse falls, stated in a post on X. He added, “I hope the management stands up against such acts of land grab. While they may choose to race or not, that is their issue, we will not let an inch of the open space be built on by either side. Imagine what will happen to our Mumbai, when these builders will sell our 226 acre open space to other builders. We as Mumbaikars must stand up to these people.”
The Walkers and Joggers Society, an association of fitness freaks who throng the racecourse, termed the development as tragic. “Any development will deprive thousands who come here to improve health as it is the only open land in the city,” said Ramkumar Dube, society vice-president.
The racecourse has a 226-acre area, and 70% of land belongs to the state government and 30% to the BMC.It is unclear yet exactly how much land the club will have to part with if the plan goes through.
Sources said the government has agreed that during the entire exercise it proposes to carry out, racing activities will not be affected in any way.
Talks on the issue have been on between the government and RWITC for a while. In October 2023, Mumbai city guardian minister Deepak Kesarkar had said both RWITC and the proposed park can co-exist and a part of the racecourse would be converted into a theme park and a Ferris wheel modelled on London Eye would be erected on the sprawl.
While Chahal didn’t reply to a query from TOI, the proposed plan came in for criticism from the opposition and from a group of walkers.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Aaditya Thackeray alleged racecourse land will be developed into a hotel, buildings and commercial space. “Speaking of the AQI of our city and open spaces, I hear that once again this illegal regime of Shinde-BJP is wanting to take over the racecourse at Mahalaxmi, Worli and then apparently “develop” it with a hotel, buildings and commercial space. It is learnt that a builder friend of the illegal CM has been threatening and arm-twisting the racecourse management into signing an MoU which will give some land for racing and take the rest away for the so called development,” Aaditya, under whose Worli constituency the racecourse falls, stated in a post on X. He added, “I hope the management stands up against such acts of land grab. While they may choose to race or not, that is their issue, we will not let an inch of the open space be built on by either side. Imagine what will happen to our Mumbai, when these builders will sell our 226 acre open space to other builders. We as Mumbaikars must stand up to these people.”
The Walkers and Joggers Society, an association of fitness freaks who throng the racecourse, termed the development as tragic. “Any development will deprive thousands who come here to improve health as it is the only open land in the city,” said Ramkumar Dube, society vice-president.