Former MP Gopal Shetty Attends – Writes Letter Demanding Speedy Resolution
Mumbai: Following his participation in a meeting regarding the ongoing judicial process over a plot reserved for a playground in Chikuwadi, Borivali (West), former North Mumbai MP Gopal Shetty has sent a letter to Mrs. Diksha Karkar, Chairperson of the Municipal Corporation’s Legal Committee.
In the letter, he pointed out that his office was informed via telephone about the important joint meeting on this matter scheduled for June 1, 2026. However, upon further inquiry, it was revealed that all concerned stakeholders had not been properly notified about the meeting. Furthermore, a meeting that had been confirmed in writing last week was canceled at the very last minute.
Shetty emphasized that while organizing the new meeting, it was mandatory to inform the concerned parties through an “official letter.” Instead, attempts were made to contact them only over the phone. This raises a significant question mark over the functioning style of the Municipal Corporation’s Legal Department regarding such a crucial matter.
Mismanagement of Taxpayers’ Money
The public servant further stated in his letter that a “reservation” on a plot under an approved Town Planning Scheme cannot be easily overturned, even by the Supreme Court. Despite this, the legal dispute concerning the said plot has been pending for several years, and the Municipal Corporation has spent crores of rupees of taxpayers’ money on lawyers.
He drew a sharp contrast by highlighting another case:
The Shukla Compound Case (Rawalpada, Dahisar): Shetty alleged that despite the Municipal Corporation having no direct connection to this case, its Legal Department spent a massive amount of public money to benefit a private external developer.
The Chikuwadi Case: On the other hand, by keeping the reserved plot matter pending for years, tax-paying citizens—especially the local children—have been deprived of a playground.
“Please discuss this matter seriously in the Legal Committee meeting and play a necessary role in delivering justice. I will also continue this fight at my level to ensure justice for the taxpayers and local residents,” Shetty stated.
Call for Fair Compensation
At the end of the letter, Gopal Shetty added that he had requested in his previous communication to invite the landowner, Mrs. Rita Dadarkar, to the joint meeting. The reasoning behind this was to understand the relevant technical issues from her perspective as well, allowing the Municipal Corporation to consider offering her TDR (Transferable Development Rights) or appropriate monetary compensation.
He concluded by stating that keeping a playground, which is reserved for public utility, away from citizens for so many years is completely unjustifiable.