(By Sapna Desai Mumbai Samachar Desk)
Mumbai: With the Municipal Corporation’s Improvements Committee yet to take a decision on reserving Byculla’s 1,005.03-square-metre Alexandra Theatre for residential use, the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT) have issued a warning to the Corporation’s ruling party. The Opposition has argued that Mumbai’s DP-2034 has 3,09,284.08 square metres reserved for cinema-theatres, of which 119 cinema-theatres currently exist. There is also a fear that if the reservation of one shut-down theatre is cancelled, it would set a precedent for other closed theatres as well.
Proposal Put on Hold Once Already
A proposal to change the theatre’s reservation came before the Improvements Committee on August 12, but was put on hold after the Opposition raised objections. It is now likely to come back before the committee for approval at the next meeting. In a letter written to committee chairperson Sandhya Doshi, Congress corporator and committee member Meher Haider questioned the move. According to her, if a dilapidated building can be reconstructed and a closed cinema can be modernised and restarted, why should the reservation be cancelled altogether to clear the way for residential development?
Meher Haider demanded that the proposal be scrapped, arguing that a cinema reservation cannot be cancelled merely because the theatre has remained shut. She demanded that the status of all 119 cinema-theatre reservations under DP-2034 be disclosed, along with details of additional FSI, development potential, and the possible private financial gains arising from the proposed amendment. Meher Haider also demanded a White Paper on the cancellation or amendment of reservations for recreation grounds, playgrounds, open spaces and other public reservations.
“We Will Not Allow This Proposal to Be Approved”: Padwal
Shiv Sena (UBT) corporator and Improvements Committee member Sachin Padwal said the theatre has remained shut since 2007, and no serious efforts have been made to revive it. Changing the reservation would deprive local residents of an important recreational and entertainment space after redevelopment. It would also set a precedent, opening the floodgates for similar claims from other closed theatres. “We will not allow this proposal to be approved,” he said.
Also Read:Ganeshotsav Nears, But Mumbai Roads Still Have Over 4,000 Potholes Troubling Vighnaharta
A senior Corporation official said the theatre, which permanently shut down in 2007, has remained unused for nearly two decades. The proposal is based on a recommendation from the Urban Development Department. Meanwhile, the proposal has also faced strong opposition from the Kamathipura Vikas Samiti, which has requested the Municipal Commissioner to retain the existing reservation and scrap the plan to convert it for residential use.