No proposal to rename SGNP after Vajpayee under consideration, Maharashtra govt clarifies

Mumbai: Maharashtra Forest Minister Ganesh Naik on Wednesday told the legislative council that there was no plan to rename the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in the city after Atal Bihari Vajpayee and establish a university or a township on its land. A proposal had been submitted to then chief minister Eknath Shinde in January 2024 to establish a world-class university inside the national park and rename it for late prime minister and BJP stalwart Vajpayee, he said.

The proposal also spoke of developing an integrated township on the land within the boundaries of the SGNP and Aarey Milk Colony, and it was forwarded to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Nagpur, the minister said, responding to a question about news reports in this regard. But the representation was disposed of as the proposals were not legally tenable, Naik said, adding that the department has been receiving such representations since 2019.

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In a letter dated May 15, 2026 the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests stated that establishing a university within the notified area of the park is not permissible under the law, the minister said. Newspaper reports created confusion, he claimed. "No proposal to rename Sanjay Gandhi National Park as 'Atal Bihari Vajpayee Udyan' is under consideration by the government. No action has been initiated in that regard," Naik said.

Establishing university within a forest area would violate the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, he said. The SGNP is spread across parts of north Mumbai and neighbouring Thane and Palghar districts, occupying an area of 104.08 sq km. One of the very few national parks in the world located within a major metropolitan region, it is home to leopards, among other wildlife species.