Residents based around SGNP take out protest rally

Thousands of residents in and around the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in suburban Borivli here took out two protest rallies today, supported by Aam Aadmi Party workers, against government's inaction towards not rehabilitating them.
AAP national spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon said that around 5,000 families residing in the vicinity of SGNP were asked to vacate their homes following a Bombay High Court order. The court had it also issued directives regarding their rehabilitation. However, no concrete actions have been taken by civic body BMC and state government for a long time now.
"These are nearly 20,000 people living in and around the national park. Many of them are the original natives of Mumbai. Unfortunately, BMC and the state government have always turned a blind eye to their basic needs," Menon said.

Sharma claimed that the government had promised these residents shelters with all basic amenities like water, electricity and sanitation for the past many years and had even collected Rs 7000 from them. Despite several reminders and requests no action has been taken.
One of the rally started from Damunagar in Magathane while the second from from Vaishali Nagar in Dahisar to Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivali.
According to a AAP volunteer, AAP North Mumbai office has come forward to lodge complaints of residents with authorities concerned in the recent past.