Mumbai: ALMs, NGOs may get back control of garden and parks

The BMC, which maintains 190-odd plots, has not been able to take back some plots. Representation pic

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to walk in the open space policy park once again. The policy, drafted by BMC in 2015, had caused public outcry back then, leading to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis intervening in the matter and putting it on hold. Now, following demands of environmentalists and activists to bring it back, sources in the civic body told mid-day that BMC commissioner Praveen Pardeshi has instructed the Garden Department to study the feasibility of giving out gardens to citizens and corporates on adoption basis.

The open space policy was discussed in a meeting with green activists last month, following which instructions were given to the garden department to revive it, revealed a civic official.

Fine-tune it

The garden department has been asked to avoid the shortcomings of the earlier drafts, make the policy more citizen-friendly and attract corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. However, it is likely to allow commercial exploitation of open spaces during the afternoon, just like the previous policy.

BMC Chief Praveen Pardeshi

A senior civic official told mid-day, "While it is still in the early stages, the superintendent of gardens has been asked to fine-tune and present a new policy, which can be easily approved and does not contain any of the controversial points that faced opposition four years ago." Despite repeated attempts, superintendent of gardens, Jitendra Pardeshi, remained unavailable for comment.

'So weird'

Citizens involved in maintaining the parks haven't taken too kindly to this. Bharati Kakkad from the Union Park Residents' Association, who was involved in maintaining one of the open spaces on adoption basis before it was taken by BMC, said, "It is so weird that BMC first allows us to maintain the spaces and have us plead for funds and take them back when they are being maintained smoothly. To add to this, they have still not paid us our deposit. Until a few months ago, the electricity and water meters, too, were in our name."

"If the policy returns, we would want BMC to fund the maintenance. We would be happy to supervise it, because there is no planning and the contractors are planting trees haphazardly. BMC cannot just take away the spaces and put them up for adoption once again," said Kakkad.

Will continue to oppose

Asif Zakaria, Congress corporator from Bandra said, "The entire purpose of scrapping the old policy and the CM's orders of taking back the plots given to private players is wasted. The open spaces that have been made members only and private clubhouses are yet to be taken over by BMC. Unless these are taken back, we will continue to oppose the policy."

"If the commercial use of public open spaces is allowed, then what is the point of giving them out on an adoption basis to residents' associations? BMC has lot of money and it is their duty to maintain gardens instead of pushing it on citizens," he added.

New policy is likely to allow commercial use of open spaces in the afternoon, just like the previous one. Representation pic

Controversial since '15

The policy has been mired in controversy ever since it was introduced in 2015, when it gave private players and edge over NGOs and citizens' groups to take over open spaces, which reported by mid-day on November 19, 2015, in 'Will your neighbourhood NGO pass this BMC test.' A controversial clause under the policy allowed private entities who have adopted the plots and spent Rs 3 crore on them to apply for a status change and become caretakers. Activists pointed out that as caretakers, the entities would have powers to construct on the land. The activists had claimed the scheme was designed to give priority to companies and those with adequate money. Activists had also objected to politicians being given a backdoor entry under the same policy for retaining plots they had obtained as caretakers.

In 2016, following public outcry over this policy, CM had directed BMC to take back all of the 216 plots given on adoption basis. While BMC has been maintaining the 190-odd plots since, it has not been able to take back 26 plots, even after four years. The policy was scrapped after several politicians usurped the land; they are yet to return it.

26
No. of plots BMC hasn't been able to take back

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