Mumbai: Commission Reprimands BMC Over Mumba-Devi Temple Parking Plot Blunder

The Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission has reprimanded the municipal commissioner of the BMC for initiating the construction of a parking space next to the Mumba-Devi temple, a site originally allotted for the temple’s development. The commission criticised the commissioner for reneging on his commitment and has requested a detailed roadmap to address several issues, providing respite to the numerous devotees visiting the temple.

The commission, presided over by Justice K K Tated and M A Sayeed, took suo motu cognisance of a newspaper article titled “Give Goddess Some Place,” which highlighted the temple’s inability to provide basic facilities like toilets, drinking water, and parking due to the BMC’s allocation of the space for a parking lot.

In response to the commission’s query, the BMC’s counsel stated that the plot (DP 2034 City Survey No. 6/1640 of Division Bhuleshwar) is reserved as a parking lot.

However, advocate Dharmesh Pandya, representing the temple, opposed this and argued that the commissioner had made a false statement before the commission.

However, advocate Dharmesh Pandya, representing the temple, opposed this, presenting a letter dated December 22, 2022, from the Assistant Engineer, which indicated the plot was reserved for a school and not a parking lot. The document showed that the school had been non-functional for the last 25 years, and efforts to transfer the plot to the temple premises had already been initiated.

“As per the records, the reports from the Urban Development Department show that since the plot was reserved for school, the request to transfer it to the temple premises is already placed before the education ministry,” reads the document.

After reviewing the evidence, the commission noted that despite state-level efforts to develop a religious structure around the Mumba-Devi temple, similar to those in Ujjain and Varanasi, the BMC had blatantly disobeyed the commission’s process. “The BMC ignored an order from Guardian Minister Shri Dipak Kesarkar to halt the parking tender process and prepare a detailed development plan,” the commission said.

The commission has asked the municipal commissioner to explain the alleged “false statement” made before the commission and to file an affidavit addressing the issue.