Vidyavihar bridge name row: Shiv Sena (UBT) wants Nana Patekar, BJP backs pilot Smit Machchhar
PTC Web Desk: A new bridge in Mumbai has become the centre of a political tussle and the dispute has nothing to do with construction. The question is what to call it. The newly built East-West bridge at Vidyavihar railway station has drawn two different naming proposals from two rival camps.
Shiv Sena (UBT) wants it named after veteran actor Nana Patekar, while the BJP has put forward the name of the flydubai pilot who recently made headlines for averting a serious accident.
Sena (UBT) pushes for 'Nana Patekar Setu'
Shiv Sena (UBT) workers have put up a banner at the site demanding that the structure be called 'Padma Shri Nana Patekar Setu'. Earlier this week, a party delegation also met Mumbai mayor Ritu Tawde and handed over a letter making the same request.
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BJP MLA suggests the pilot’s name
Just a few days before this, BJP MLA Parag Shah had written to the authorities suggesting the bridge be named after Captain Smit Machchhar. The flydubai pilot earned praise from around the world for helping avoid a major accident involving a flight headed to Tel Aviv.
Ganesh Khankar, the leader of the house in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), accused Shiv Sena (UBT) of manufacturing a controversy just to grab political credit.
Khankar said he respected Patekar’s contribution to Indian cinema, but in his view, a big theatre or theatre complex would be a far better way to honour the actor than a bridge.
About the bridge
The Vidyavihar bridge runs for 650 metre and has two lanes. It links Ramchandra Chemburkar Marg on the east side of Vidyavihar station with Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg on the west side in Ghatkopar.
As per the BMC, the structure includes a 100-metre section over the railway tracks. Approach roads on the two sides are 220 metre (east) and 330 metre (west) long. The project also covers links to the station’s footpaths, along with rebuilt ticket booking offices, a new station master’s office and new staircases.
No final decision on the name has been reported so far.
- PTC NEWS
