The issue of including 14 villages into the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has resulted to On Monday, an all-party coming together.
A protest march was organized on Monday in the Dahisar Mori area, with participation from leaders and workers of major political parties, demanding swift action on the long-pending inclusion of these villages.
The villages included in the merger are Dahisar, Mokashi, Walivali, Pimpri, Nighu, Navali, Waklan, Bamarli, Narivali, Bale, Nagaon, Bhandarli, Uttar Shiv, and Goteghar.
The march saw presence fromShiv Sena MLA Rajesh More, BJP District President Nandu Parab, NCP District President Mali, Congress leader Santosh Keni, Shiv Sena leader Bandu Patil, along with several municipal office bearers, committee members, and activists from Shiv Sena, BJP, and NCP, joined the march. Women leaders and members of the villagers' committee were also actively present.
The protest voices the grievance among residents of these 14 villages, who are yet to receive basic civic amenities despite the government issuing an ordinance for their inclusion into NMMC over 14 months ago.
Villagers allege that the municipal corporation has not started providing essential services, causing inconvenience and neglect. " It was in the month of March 2024 the resolution to incorporate 14 villages was officially passed, yet there nothing concrete happening," said a member.
All-party leaders has urged State Forest Minister Ganesh Naik to ensure that the government resolution (GR) is peacefully and sensibly implemented, clearing the way for the formal inclusion of these villages into the municipal structure.
In the meantime, villagers in Dahisar and Mori have started staging demonstrations demanding immediate action, as they grow impatient over the prolonged process. Political leaders who have been following up on this matter for months expressed their disappointment over the lack of progress and warned that their agitation would intensify if no concrete steps are taken.
"The development and future of these villages depend on their official inclusion within the NMMC limit. The state government is asked to resolve the issue without further delay," said a protestor.
The long-pending demand gathered momentum in 2015 when Chauda Gaon Sarv Pakshiya Vikas SamitiCGSPVS urged the government to include these villages in the municipal corporation’s jurisdiction to ensure better civic amenities and infrastructural development. Responding to the demand, in March 2022, then Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde, in the MVA government, announced the decision to merge these villages with NMMC.
