Addressing a meeting convened by him to discuss the problems of development in Navi Mumbai, Deshmukh said that the space should be developed for beautification purposes, instead of allowing it to be used as a parking lot.

He pointed out that parking lots below bridges were a threat to security as a blast in a parked vehicle below a bridge would have dangerous consequences.

He pointed out that parking lots had been created below flyovers and asked officials to disallow the use of such spaces for parking.

During the discussion on Navi Mumbai, guardian minister Ganesh Naik asked for a higher FSI for the development of gaothans (original villages/settlements) as the existing FSI of 0.75 was too less for proper development.

He pointed out that the region was urbanising rapidly and the government should provide FSI of 4 on the lines of the one permitted for Dharavi’s development. He said the roads in gaothans were too narrow and the water supply and sewage system created three decades ago hadbecome outdated.

He sought loans for the Navi Mumbai municipal corporation from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and plots of land at nominal charges from the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) to upgrade civic amenities.