Will ensure speedy rehab for project-hit shopkeepers: Thane mayor

Mayor Naresh Mhaske, in a meeting on Thursday, said he would speed the rehabilitation of shopkeepers who lost livelihoods due to the Retibunder Chowpatty project.

Mayor Naresh Mhaske, in a meeting on Thursday, said he would speed the rehabilitation of shopkeepers who lost livelihoods due to the Retibunder Chowpatty project.

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The shopkeepers and local representatives met the mayor to voice their concerns, following which he directed the civic administration to provide them with speedy rehabilitation.

“I have discussed the issue with the shopkeepers and have given directives to the authorities to find a solution agreeable to all in this issue. The rehabilitation issue of the shopkeepers will be resolved at an earliest,” the mayor said.

Four years ago, Thane Municipal Corporation planned to convert Parsik Retibunder creek into a chowpatty. The creek was freed of illegal encroachments of hutments and shops in 2016.

The commercial establishments along the chowpatty alleged that they were promised rehabilitation but didn’t get any. Around 103 shopkeepers lost their livelihood due to the project.

There are two public interest litigations (PILs) filed in court and a hearing with National Green Tribunal (NGT) is also pending.

Umesh Patil, local corporator of Retibunder, said a meeting with the home minister and the revenue minister too will be held next week to come up with a solution on the issue.

“All shopkeepers were promised shops four years ago following which we gave our land for the project. Till date none of the shopkeepers have received any alternate shops. On Thursday we met the mayor along with these shopkeepers to voice our concerns, ” said Patil.