Sena plans changes at Thackeray memorial

As late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s memorial at Shivaji Park waits for an official inauguration, the party has planned to make more changes to the already developed garden.

As late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray’s memorial at Shivaji Park waits for an official inauguration, the party has planned to make more changes to the already developed garden.

HT Image

Sena leaders are pushing for Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) permission and approval from the Mumbai Heritage Conservation Committee (MHCC) which restricts move to make any changes in the area. Shivaji Park in Dadar falls under both category.

The new plan to beautify the garden includes a wooden fencing, French-styled lawn, pebbles, kadappa and wax malphigia boxing. A copy of the plan available with HT mentions how the 40X20sqm garden will be divided into six parts with kadappa verticals at different levels. Each part will have various lawn designs.

According to the original plan, the work on the garden was completed in February by the civic body’s garden department.

Since then, the garden has not been inaugurated. After pitching in with the state government, Sena was allowed to develop a part of the ground into a lawn in memory of the late leader. However, the party members are thinking of making more changes.

Rahul Shewale, standing committee chairman, BMC, has written to various departments asking them to speed up the process for approval. “We may have to wait for a month to get clearance from the coastal regulatory body. We are hoping that the permission will be given,” he said.

Even if the CRZ norms allow Sena leaders to make changes, the park’s heritage status will create a hurdle. “There should not be a problem as Shivaji Park is ‘proposed’ to be in the heritage list,” said a senior party member.