State allowed hotels to gobble up 90 percent of recreational ground?

NCP's Dhananjay Munde inspects the RG plot on Thursday with supporters. Pic/Datta Kumbhar

The NCP yesterday launched a scathing attack on the state government for continuing to give away the city's precious open spaces. On Thursday, Dhananjay Munde, leader of opposition in the state legislative council, visited a recreation ground (RG plot) in Andheri that had been whittled away to just 10% its original size for the benefit of star hotels near the international airport.

The plot was originally marked as a recreational ground in its entirety in the in 1991 Development Plan (DP). However, in 1992, the then state government changed the rules, allowing 50 percent for construction of hotels, as the plot was near the international airport. This change was made with the rider that the remaining area was to be developed as an RG and handed over to the BMC. Accordingly hotels were set up on the land, but the remaining 50 per cent was never handed back to the civic body.

Munde alleged that instead of taking action against the hotels for flouting the rules, the authorities had once again changed the land use in DP 2034. "Instead of taking action, the Shiv Sena-BJP government has now kept only 10 per cent for RG, and the remaining area has been marked as EP [excluded portion], which can be used for hotels," Munde said.

He added that this had not only reduced the open space available in the area, but had also resulted in huge loss of revenue that the civic body could have made off the land. "The administration has helped the hoteliers to regularise the violations. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should personally look into this issue and provide relief to locals and NGOs fighting to save open spaces in city," the NCP leader added.

According to the press release issued by Munde's office, Indian Hotels Pvt, Marlboro Hotel, Narang Pvt Limited and a commercial building called The Orb allegedly flouted the norms and benefited due to the change in rules. Meanwhile, Sushma Rai, the local sitting corporator from Congress, has opposed the move as well.

Her husband Kamlesh Rai, a former corporator from Shiv Sena has decided to move court if the errors are not rectified. "We will wait for a week or two for the administration and government to take cognisance and concrete steps to address our issue. If things don't move ahead, we will file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) for justice," said Kamlesh, a former three-term corporator. Despite repeated attempts to contact the local building proposal office, there was no response from the officials.

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