BJP MP Gopal Shetty

divisional sports complex

Pramod Mahajan Sports Complex

Navratri festivities

Shimpoli village

sports and youth welfare minister Vinod Tawde

Gopal Shetty wants five acres to be set aside from 13-acre plot, meant for sports complex, to host functions. He had written to sports dept, backing pvt decorator.It was at the behest ofthat the sports department had allowed a private decorator to host events like parties and weddings at the plot Kandivali plot that is actually reserved for aat a “nominal cost”.Moreover, Shetty wants five acres carved out from the 13-acre plot, earmarked for the yet-to-be developed, for hosting “social and cultural” events andMumbai Mirror had reported yesterday that while Mumbaikars were fighting to save disappearing open and recreational spaces, the sports department had handed over the Kandivali ground to Sai Decorators for hosting weddings and parties. A marriage function was held there on Saturday.Following the report, the sports department asked the decorator to remove all its materials from the ground, even as it appeared that Shetty had written to the sports department, backing the private decorator.While NB Mote, deputy director of the sports department, did not respond to calls and text messages from this correspondent, officials confirmed that Shetty had sent a written request to let Sai Decorators hold events at the plot. “Even for the Navratri festival, MP Shettyji had written to us. And the same process was followed for Saturday’s wedding. Since the local MP is backing the decorator, there is nothing much we can do,” the official said.Mumbai Mirror is in possession of acopy of Shetty’s letter.The plot, just nine acres shy of Oval Maidan’s size, is located in. Ironically, it falls in the assembly constituency of. On Tuesday, the decorator dismantled his makeshift godown and cleared other items.Shetty though stuck to his ground. “Where will people get married? Should they go to Dubai and hold their wedding functions? I am not against the sports complex but a part of the ground must be earmarked for social and cultural events. I have taken up the issue with the sports department. Till the sports complex is ready, it must allow functions at a nominal cost,” he said.Shetty’s letter is, however, at odds with the stance taken by Tawde, who had said that weddings at the ground would be stopped.The housing and development body, MHADA, had allotted the plot to the sports and youth welfare department in 2012 so the proposed sports centre could be built. The ground suffered neglect for five years before the department suddenly decided to allow social events there.Local residents have asked the department to immediately stop the activities and evict Sai Decorators.“This is nothing but commercial exploitation of the plot. If at all events are being permitted, then the sports department should auction the plot or call for tenders,” said local Congress functionary Bhushan Patil, who has joined the residents’ protest.But Shetty is demanding just the opposite.“Many more functions will be arranged on the ground in the days to come, even after the sports complex is functioning. The Congress leaders are trying to misguide the people and bureaucrats have delayed the project. I will always help people to get permission to hold wedding functions here and other open plots,” Shetty said in an email to Mumbai Mirror.Sai Decorators’ owner Santosh Singh said that he was only supplying decoration materials for the events allowed at the ground.