Navi Mumbai
Kamothe residents, who have opposed a bus terminal below a housing project, have now pinned hopes on the new state government.
Houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) have been planned opposite Khandeshwar railway station. A bus terminal has been proposed below the housing society and the area has been fenced and offices have been set up by City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco).
Residents are opposing the idea of having a bus terminal on the same building as the residential project.
Ranjana Sadolikar, head of Kamothe residents’ organisation City Unity Forum (CUF), said, “We are not against PMAY but against the idea of having a housing society along with the bus terminal. Also, once the housing society comes up near the station, there would be no space left for expansion of station area in future. The officials should look for another option for to build houses under PMAY.”
Priya Ratambe, public relations officer (PRO) of Cidco, said that nothing has been finalised about the new scheme. “Everything is in planning stage and lot of approvals are required,” she said.
The residents said Kamothe is already been reeling under water crisis and another housing society near the station will aggravate the problem further.
Sadolikar said, “Cidco had earlier said that the plots near the station area have been kept for expansion of transport systems like Metro, bus and autos. They have changed the plan and are coming up with housing society along with bus terminal.”
{{/usCountry}}Sadolikar said, “Cidco had earlier said that the plots near the station area have been kept for expansion of transport systems like Metro, bus and autos. They have changed the plan and are coming up with housing society along with bus terminal.”
{{/usCountry}}“Also, with upcoming airport in the near vicinity Kamothe area will expand and hence, there would be need to expand the station area to accommodate the many mode of transportation which will be introduced later. With housing society there would be no space left for expansion,” she said.
Twenty-four 11-storey towers have been proposed under PMAY at the empty plots reserved for bus terminal and parking near Khandeshwar railway station.
Avinash Patil, 35, a Kamothe resident, said, “We have decided to go all on social networking sites on the issue. We would also meet chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and brief him about the issue. There are many empty plots in Kamothe and Khandeshwar, any of the plots could have been used for PMAY scheme rather than blocking the open space near the station.”