Devendra Fadnavis settles scores with Uddhav Thackeray over Mumbai Coastal Road

Devendra Fadnavis said he was not invited to the Bhoomi Pujan of Coastal Road. File pic/Ashish Raje

Former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expressed his discontent during the opening ceremony of the southbound lanes of the Coastal Road on Monday. Fadnavis, who calimed to played a pivotal role in securing permission for the project, said that despite his contribution, he was not invited to the Bhoomi Pujan.

"I was the chief minister of the state. I could have taken back the project from the BMC and handed it over to MMRDA and MSRDC, but I didn't do that. People will know now who is big-hearted and who isn't," said Fadnavis.

This comes in response to social media posts by Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray, accusing the Mahayuti of wrongfully claiming credit for the Coastal Road.

Fadnavis also took a dig at Uddhav Thackeray as he recounted the challenges he faced in obtaining clearance for the Coastal Road project.

"Uddhav Thackeray used the Coastal Road presentation as his dream project in two elections. Despite going multiple times to Delhi he returned empty-handed. The idea of the coastal road project existed for decades but the project gained momentum only after BJP came to power both at the centre and the state," said Fadnavis.

"We had five meetings and tried to resolve the issues that arose. The most difficult issues were reclamation and changes in the CRZ line. We assured the central government that the CRZ line would not change and the reclaimed land would be dedicated to public open spaces, ensuring a ‘No Development Zone' along the Coastal Road. With the support of the environment minister Anil Madhav Dave, we finally received draft notification just two weeks before his demise."

Acknowledging the contributions of civic officials Pravin Pardeshi, Sanjay Mukherjee, and current additional commissioner Ashwini Bhide, Fadnavis expressed disappointment at not being invited to the Bhoomi Pujan despite his role as the Chief Minister.

Fadnavis further alleged that during the tenure of MVA, corruption was at its peak at various works on the Coastal Road. Only after the change in the state government, did the speed of the work increase.

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also took a dig at Aditya Thackery. "The local MLA couldn't solve the issue of fishermen even after several requests. When I became the CM, we increased the span between pillars at Worli and Koliwada," said Shinde.

The CM said that the Coastal Road will be a game changer for Mumbaikars. "Someone is promoting it on social media as ‘work done by us'. But how many obstacles have been put in it by them? Devendra Fadnavis obtained permissions while he was CM," said Shinde.

Ajit Pawar, deputy CM said, "Mumbai is ranked as one of the most polluted cities in India. Our government has vowed to make this city free from pollution. The coastal road is a major milestone that will not only lead to a reduction in carbon footprint but will also provide an added green cover of 175 acres to the city.