Purpose of erecting Balasaheb Thackeray memorial should not fail

Bench directs to cancel the food court and VIP entrance

Aurangabad, Dec 8:

The planned Balasaheb Thackeray memorial erection project at Priyadarshani Udyan should be more public and convenient and should be a tourist attraction. The Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court expects that the purpose of erecting the monument should not fail for any reason, Justice Ravindra V Ghuge and Justice SG Meher reiterated on Wednesday. The bench gave detailed guidelines on a number of issues which could be a hindrance to the fulfillment of the memorial. The public interest litigation will now be heard on December 17.

During the hearing, the bench directed that the food court and VIP entrance area should be canceled. Changing place of toilets, street lights and installation of CCTV, planting native trees, keeping visitor register at the gate, making internal roads 12 feet instead of 20 feet, giving access to all, denying entry to drunkards, smokers, paan, tobacco and gutkha chewers and providing food and shelter (nest) to the birds.

Permanent committee on biodiversity

The bench set up a permanent committee under the chairmanship of the divisional commissioner to promote the conservation of various species of birds and plants to preserve the biodiversity. The committee consists of the municipal commissioner, the municipal garden superintendent and the head of the botanical garden of the university. The bench directed the committee to visit the memorial site and give advice on the conservation of various species of birds and plants. Adv Sunny Khinvasara represented the petitioner, Adv Shubham Agarwal represented Jansahayog, Adv Anand Bhandari municipal corporation, adv Anil Bajaj Cidco and chief public prosecutor adv DR Kale represented the government.

Food court was canceled

Visitors to the memorial site are expected to go straight to the memorial, greet, visit the museum, spend some time there and return. There are several shops selling various food items around the area. So there is no need for a food court here. There is no food court inside the world famous tourist destinations like Ajanta, Ellora, Daulatabad Fort. If a food plaza is set up in the park, tourists will go straight to the food court, instead of visiting the monument. This would hamper the purpose of the monument. The court hence canceled the food court.