Aaditya Thackeray, Milind Deora agree: ‘Mayor, BMC should be more empowered’
Both called for greater empowerment of the Mumbai mayor and the BMC, and drew attention to the challenge of multiple agencies coordinating with each other
MUMBAI: Batting for more power to the mayor and the municipal corporation on Monday was Shiv Sena (UBT)’s sitting MLA Aaditya Thackeray, who was to face off against the Shiv Sena’s Milind Deora, his rival in the upcoming assembly elections. The occasion was a town hall, where the two high-profile candidates from the hotly contested Worli constituency, had been invited.
The event, though, took an unexpected turn, with each candidate taking questions separately – first Thackeray, who then left the venue, and then Deora.
But there was some common ground. Both Thackeray and Deora called for greater empowerment of the Mumbai mayor and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), and both drew attention to the challenge of multiple city and state agencies coordinating with each other.
The three-hour session, on ‘Whose vision will shape Mumbai’s future?”, was organised by Mumbai First and the Mumbai Press Club, and it attracted IIT experts, architects, activists, urban planners and environmentalists.
Thackeray said the BMC, dominated by the Shiv Sena for 25 years until March 2022, should be further empowered. “BMC requires more authority and accountability, especially over land. There are currently 17-18 agencies involved in redevelopment projects. We don’t need any other body to serve as a town-planning authority for Mumbai; agencies like MHADA, SRA and MMRDA should focus on executing roles.”
He highlighted his experience with the Mahim Fort rejuvenation project as an example. “When I was working on the Mahim Fort, it was under the jurisdiction of the Customs and Mumbai Port Authority (MPA), yet they hadn’t maintained it for years. Why should the MPA control land on Mumbai’s west coast when there’s no shipping traffic there any longer?”
Thackeray also criticised the lack of accountability among city agencies. “MMRDA has never been held accountable. It doesn’t need a presence in Mumbai and should operate in the metropolitan area instead. Within the city, we need a single, empowered BMC led by a mayor from the largest party in the corporation, accountable to the corporators, who in turn are accountable to the people of Mumbai. We want all town-planning authorities in Mumbai to be centralised under BMC.”
Thackeray also emphasised the need for better footpaths and last-mile connectivity, prioritising walkable, green and well-lit pedestrian spaces. Revitalising Mumbai’s BEST bus service is another major focus for the Sena (UBT), aiming to grow the fleet to 10,000 electric buses, including 900 double-decker buses, by 2027, without fare increases.
He also raised concerns over BMC’s liabilities of over ₹2 lakh crore.
On the other hand, Milind Deora stressed the economic potential of developing the Mumbai Port Authority (MPA) land. As a former shipping minister, he had introduced an estate policy for India’s major ports, including Mumbai’s, noting that the Mumbai port has untapped potential as a storage terminal.
“How do you encourage cooperation between a central agency like the MPA and the state government,” asked Deora, pointing to the lack of coordination between various agencies, which operated in silos.
“Coming to the point about directly elected mayors… I believe Mumbai needs a more empowered local government. Whether it is a directly elected mayor or empowered mayor, the idea is can you devolve powers to the city or the local body,” he said. “I firmly believe we need to have someone in the city who should have that power, who will have a vision for the MMR region, and our governance model should be on those lines,” Deora added.
Deora highlighted that investing in infrastructure, like the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link, Coastal Road, and expanded metro lines generates long-term economic returns by attracting business and investment. “With major FDI already coming to Maharashtra, I believe ongoing projects, including a second and third airport, will further fuel economic growth.”