Bombay Hospital Trust opposes renaming of road after Nana Chudasama

The Bombay Hospital Trust has strongly opposed Shiv Sena Member of Parliament (MP) Arvind Sawant's recommendation of naming the road on which the hospital stands, after former sheriff Nana Chudasama. The Trust members have written to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to formally record their objections, on February 23. The hospital is even willing to take up a legal battle if required.

'Name registered with BMC'
The letter, submitted by Dr Rajkumar V Patil, director of Medical Services, stated that the road has been known as Bombay Hospital Lane for the past 65 years. A senior doctor at the hospital said, "For 70 years, patients and ambulance drivers have known the road as Bombay Hospital Lane. Changing the name will create problems for them. If the BMC changes the name, then the trust will take legal recourse to challenge it. The name was registered with the BMC in 1967."

The controversy erupted after Sawant wrote to Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta on January 29 saying the road should be renamed in memory of the former sheriff who passed away in December last year. Sawant, in his letter, had added that he had made the recommendation based on a proposal submitted by Shaina NC, Chudasama's daughter and BJP national spokesperson.

'No official name'
Assistant Municipal Commissioner Kiran Dighavkar said that based on the BMC's records, the road in contention has no official name. Dighavkar said the local corporator has to submit a proposal to change the name which is then submitted to the ward committee. Once approved, the proposal is taken up for discussion in the general body meeting and a decision is taken.

Shaina NC said that the proposal has already been submitted to the ward committee. "Since 1967, the hospital has not taken an interest in doing up the road. We set up dividers and beautified it with the help of CSR activities. It is quite unfortunate, because my father's contribution to the city is known by one and all," she said.

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