Maharashtra panel identifies six plots for Bal Thackeray's memorial

MUMBAI: The committee constituted by Maharashtra government to identify land suitable for the construction of a memorial for late Shiv Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray, has shortlisted six plots in the island city.

"Six plots have been identified for the construction of memorial of Balasaheb, but nothing has been finalised as yet. This is just the initial identification of where the memorial can come up. Further discussions will be held at the level of the Chief Minister. It will be a larger level meeting now, where not only officers but other people will also be called," Chief Secretary Swadheen Kshatriya told PTI.

"All the plots are in the island city ... we have not considered suburbs," he added.

Kshatriya said that two of the plots are adjacent to the mayor's bungalow at Shivaji Park, both of which belong to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, two plots are in Wadala near Imax cinema that belong to state government, and the rest of the plots are in Parel area.

"These are the preliminary identifications that the committee has come up with, hence a theme or a design has not been finalised as yet. Our work is only to identify a suitable piece of land. Depending on the final selection of land by the government in consultation with all the parties concerned, the subsequent issues like design, style etc will be planned," Kshatriya said.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, after paying tributes to Bal Thackeray on his second death anniversary on November 17, had said that a committee under the Chief Secretary will be formed to discuss construction of a memorial "suitable to Thackeray's status" and that Uddhav and leaders of other political parties will be on the panel.

According to a government resolution, the panel, headed by Kshatriya, consists of seven other members.

Additional and Deputy Secretary of the General Administration Department (GAD), Principal Secretaries of the Urban Development Department, Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte, Divisional Commissioner of Konkan region, and Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria are included in the committee.