Forget seeing redeveloped Mandais, BMC only to repair them

Forgetting their decade-long assurances for redevelopment of 43 market yards in the city, the BMC authorities have now decided to repair these market yards instead of getting them redeveloped.

The BMC manages 91 market yards (Mandais) in the city. Eighteen of these market yards were given redevelopment certificates but only three of them including Sant Jalaram Bappa Mandai (Mulund West), Hirachand Desai Mandai (Ghatkopar) and Santacruz Wakola Mandai have been developed till date. The redevelopment work is going on at Kalina and some other Mandais. The proposals made for redevelopment of 25 mandais have been cancelled after the court orders in this connection.

The BMC authorities have now taken a decision to repair and improve the conditions of five Mandais including Gopi Tank Mandai, Krantisinh Nana Patil Mandai, Mirza Ghalib Mandai, etc. It means the proposals for redevelopment of these Mandais have been put on hold. Sanjay Kurhade, assistant municipal commissioner (market division), said that only those Mandais will be redeveloped where it is required on urgent basis. Allocation of Rs 4 crore has been made for repair of five Mandais and all of these market yards will be repaired and renovated on the line of Crawford Market, Kurhade added.

The care would be taken to maintain the traditional and attractive look of these five Mandais. The entry gates of these Mandais will be made attractive so that they can be recognised immediately. The internal structure of shops will also have uniform but traditional look, Kurhade informed.

The BMC had made provision of Rs 60 lakh for repair of each of these Mandais. But in the absence of redevelopment these Mandais were neither redeveloped nor repaired. Finally, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had to take the initiative for redevelopment of these Mandais. He had asked his party corporators to take a positive decision in this regard.

After this, an effort was made to polish these Mandais by making the gates of these Mandais attractive. The Gopi Tank Mandai was one such Mandai which was repaired and made attractive.

Now, the BMC authorities have once again taken up the steps to repair these Mandais instead of getting them completely redeveloped.