With Mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar all set to move out of his official residence at Shivaji Park in Dadar by January next year, Shiv Sena aims at undertaking the ground-breaking ceremony for the Bal Thackeray memorial on his birth anniversary on November 17. On Tuesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) completed the advance possession procedure of the property with civic officials handing over the 11,500 square feet property to senior Sena leader Subhash Desai, who is also the secretary of the Bal Thackeray Memorial Trust.

According to sources, the heritage grade II-B bungalow at Shivaji Park has been chosen for the memorial, as the Sena founder was very fond of the place. Civic sources said that this was the Mayor's last Diwali at the bungalow, as the authorities would soon zero down on a house where he would be shifted. The sources further said that the memorial would also help Sena keep Bal Thackeray's followers happy before the elections, as they form a major part of their vote bank.

Speaking to mid-day, Parag Masurkar, assistant municipal commissioner of the Estate Department, said, "Now, our responsibility is to shift the Mayor, and till that is done, we will take care of the bungalow. The advance possession procedure has been completed and the property has been given to the Trust on lease for 30 years at a nominal rent of Rs 1." However, as the property falls within the coastal regulation zone, it is also important to get the required environmental permissions.

According to reports, part of the memorial would be constructed underground. Sena sources said that apart from this, the plot would also have an art gallery where cartoons, information about Thackeray's political career and his ideologies would be displayed.

As this paper had reported earlier, the design also includes a seminar hall, library and cafeteria. The plot may not have a statue of Thackeray, as Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray was not keen on having one inside his memorial, revealed Sena sources.

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