Saturday, August 27, 2005

Mumbai For Sale:?

By Sanket ‘not a salesman’ Kambli

The Maharashtra government has no plans to sell open spaces in Mumbai, as suggested by Environment Minister Ganesh Naik, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said.

"It was his personal opinion. Everybody has the freedom to put forth his views," Deshmukh told reporters in Mumbai.

NCP leader Naik had suggested that the state government could pay off its debt of over Rs 1.10 lakh crore from the proceeds of the sale of government lands in Mumbai.

Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, also belonging to the NCP, said there was no question of selling off the lands.

"The reservation on land as laid out under the Town Planning Act should continue," he added

Our CM has washed away any chance for me to write, something about our environment ministers remark.

But since my creative skills are limited, I couldn't get any better topic to write on.

If the politicians level of thinking falls to my level, and they implement the revolutionary idea given by Mr. Ganesh Naik, then there are many things that would change.

Since all these places, would become private, giving its owner crazy rights, so that would spell doom, for free sight-seeing lovers like me.

We will need to pay money, to just access places like gardens, and they would say quality life comes at a price.

But then, these places may also become very clean, and well maintained, as these spaces are something they own.

And we have a tendency to take care of only those things which are our own.

It won't be public property, whose maintenance blames are shifted from citizen's to government and vice versa.

Then if some monuments or landmarks are also sold, tourist guides will tell the tourists, something along these lines.

This landmark was build by ... in... And is owned by......

In this way the government will earn a lot of money, which it says it will use to pay off its debts.

Like the say the color of money has a lot of evil powers.

It will affect the vulnerable minds of our helpless politicians, and in a fit of trance make them pocket some of the booty.

This fresh inflow of cash, will make our state rich, it would mean more development, and many more things.

Our lives will change, whether in a good way or bad is controversial.

But sweeping changes or experimentation or not our forte, so let us just stick to traditions, and just go on with life, and even I am going, after draining out your intellectual capabilities in trying to find sense in this mash up of words.

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