Nobody else can claim credit for coastal road approval: BJP

Seeking to sideline its ally Shiv Sena after Centre gave its nod for the ambitious coastal project, BJP today said nobody else can claim credit for the approval as it is the ruling party at the Centre.
"This project would not have got an approval without the consent of the environment ministry that is in control of the BJP. Nobody should try and take unnecessary credit for the coastal road project as it is our party that is ruling at the Centre. Let the people decide who should get the credit," state Revenue minister Eknath Khadse told reporters here.
In a bid to take credit for the project, Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray had yesterday said that the approval has been received after Shiv Sena MPs sat outside the Parliament demanding clearance.

"It was proposed by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) four years ago. It has been a long wait to get environmental clearances. Last month too, MPs sat outside Parliament for it. Surely Mumbaikars will benefit from it. I'm confident that BMC will make it as good as the proposed plan of coastal road is, time bound," Thackeray had said.
The Centre had yesterday approved the 35-km long project that will connect Nariman Point and Kandivali in North Mumbai and thereby reduce the traffic congestion in the city.
The project, expected to cost around Rs 8,000-10,000 crore was conceived by the previous Congress-NCP government.