The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly witnessed heated exchanges on Tuesday as Shiv Sena (UBT) MLAs clashed with Minister Shambhuraj Desai over the prolonged delay in obtaining central government approval to clear encroachments on defence land in Bandra and rehabilitate thousands of slum dwellers.
Raising the issue, Bandra East MLA Varun Sardesai expressed frustration over the stalled redevelopment of 9,483 shanties spread across 42 acres of defence land in his constituency. He pointed out that the project has been pending for years due to the Centre's refusal to transfer the land to the state government.
“Every time we raise this matter, the government simply says it's pending with the Centre,” Sardesai said. “This has been going on since 2017. I am asking a simple question — will the land be transferred to the state government, and will the slum dwellers be relocated? I want a time-bound answer.”
Minister Shambhuraj Desai, replying on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, assured the House that the government is actively pursuing the matter. “Shinde has sent four letters to the Central government. Follow-ups are being done regularly, but the matter was not pursued during the 2019 to 2022 tenure when the MVA was in power,” Desai stated.
However, the response sparked sharp criticism from Shiv Sena (UBT) members. They pointed out that Desai himself was part of the previous MVA government led by Uddhav Thackeray — the same period Desai accused of inaction between 2019 and 2022.
Former minister Aaditya Thackeray countered Desai’s claim by referring to a written reply from the concerned department, which stated that the matter had been followed up twice with the Centre during the MVA regime. He warned of a possible breach of privilege motion against Minister Desai for misleading the House.
UBT MLAs accused the current government of shirking responsibility and expressed anger over what they termed deliberate delays and a lack of commitment. “The government should feel ashamed that such a serious issue affecting thousands is being dragged on,” said one MLA. This remark triggered strong objections from Ministers Shambhuraj Desai and Gulabrao Patil.
Sena (UBT) leader Bhaskar Jadhav questioned the procedural aspect of the reply. He asked why Minister Desai was answering on behalf of the Deputy CM and whether proper authorisation had been given. “Where is the authorisation letter?” Jadhav asked pointedly.
As tensions escalated, the presiding officer adjourned the House for ten minutes to restore order.
Upon resumption, Speaker Rahul Narwekar clarified the matter. “Deputy CM Eknath Shinde had formally requested the division of work and entrusted Shiv Sena ministers with the responsibility to respond on issues related to the Housing and Urban Development Department during the session,” the Speaker explained. Jadhav responded by saying he respected the Chair’s decision but highlighted that the Opposition remained dissatisfied with the vague and repetitive responses from the government.
