2019 Lok Sabha election: Mumbai North MP Gopal Shetty talks about his performance
I have tried to reach out to people in the constituency and worked with them on various levels, says Mumbai North MP Gopal Shetty
Gopal Shetty is the sitting Member of Parliament from the Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP leader says he has helped solved local, national issues; will complete projects if given more time.
What would you like to say about your performance in the past five years?
I have tried to reach out to people in the constituency and worked with them on various levels – from solving local issues to national concerns. I am an MP who has been the most accessible at all times. People can come to me anytime and discuss their issues with me. We have also developed several gardens and open spaces as well as undertaken beautification of railway stations in the constituency. However, we could not complete work on the 15-acre Balasaheb Thackeray Kridangan and the 13-acre Pramod Mahajan Kridangan. Secondly, the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) Hospital in Kandivli is not fully functional owing to technical issues between the Centre and the state. We will resolve the issues at the earliest and ensure it is fully functional soon.
Activists have alleged that during your tenure, many constructions have come up on mangrove land and protected areas. Comment.
In Ganpat Patil Nagar in Dahisar and Malwani, there are hutments on mangrove lands. They have been demolished several times, but they resurface. Despite the preventive laws, people tend to encroach upon any open plot. We need to act against not just those giving permissions, but also those who carry out the illegal constructions. As far as reserved plots are concerned, the rules permit constructions within stipulated limits. If there are provisions in the law, why are the activists making a hue and cry about it?
Real estate sector is booming in the constituency. There have been several issues with it. Some of them are related to the Centre. What is your stand on this?
This is a very important issue that we need to look at. We are going to add it to our manifesto. People who have shifted out of their homes are not compensated in time and the builders are often seen flouting rules. If you look at SRAs too, in several places, the work is not moving at the pace that it should, even though the BJP government has promised houses for all up to 2022. Approvals and permissions are not coming in time and we will work to ensure that in the next few years, people don’t have to suffer because of this.
Transport is a big problem for people in the constituency as most people travel to work in central and south Mumbai. How do you plan to address these issues?
We are expecting the situation to change in the next few years. After completing the Metro work, traffic issue will be solved to a large extent. Projects such as the coastal road and Dahisar-Virar corridor will be of great help.