Uddhav wants a large public park

As the Royal Western India Turf Club’s lease expired today, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray demanded that the racecourse be shifted out of the city to make way for a huge public park, and revealed a primary plan of the proposed park that his party is envisaging on the 211-acre land.

As the Royal Western India Turf Club’s lease expired on Friday, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray demanded that the racecourse be shifted out of the city to make way for a huge public park, and revealed a primary plan of the proposed park that his party is envisaging on the 211-acre land.

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Thackeray is all set to meet chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, present the plan and request him to not accept the lease renewal of the racecourse. “I want to meet the chief minister and give him a copy of what we are proposing, although this is only a primary plan.

A formal proposal will be sent from the BMC this week, asking the state not to renew the 99-year lease,” Thackeray said.

Calling it an “opportunity that has come after 99 years”, Thackeray said that egos and politics have to be kept aside to create the park. “Every developed city in the world has a racecourse outside the main city area. We have one in Pune and can have another outside Mumbai”

“This will be a place resembling Hyde Park of London, or Tivoli Park of Copenhagen,” he said.

He also stated that the park would not be a memorial of late Sena chief Bal Thackeray.