Mumbai: ‘Why is BMC taking time to decide on RG-PG policy?’

A playground inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivli on September 9, 2020. File Pic/Satej Shinde

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will take at least a month to take a final decision concerning the controversial draft Recreation Grounds and Playgrounds (RG-PG) policy. Activists have been unhappy about aspects of the policy and have demanded that civic body should listen to citizens' voices. The BMC published the draft of the RG-PG policy on September 8, 2023, and appealed to stakeholders to submit suggestions and objections.

"By the last day, October 10, the BMC's garden department received around 100 suggestions and objections. They are still being counted. It will take at least a month to make decisions regarding the feedback," an official stated. "We need to study the suggestions and objections we have received. That is why we need at least one month more," said another official.

Unhappy about the delay, civic activist Anil Galgali said that the policy had only been in the preparation stages. He said, "Twenty days have already passed since the deadline for submitting suggestions and objections. Now they want one more month. Why exactly is it taking so much time?" Former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said, "There is a possibility that they are delaying things because they think that citizens will forget about the policy. If they want to give plots in the city to private players, they need to give a reason for this."

What is the policy?

According to the draft policy, as far as possible, all RG-PG plots will be developed by the BMC itself or by appointing contractors who will be paid from its funds or by inviting tenders as part of public-private partnerships. In exceptional situations where the BMC is unable to develop or maintain these grounds, for financial, technical or other reasons, they can be given for adoption, according to the draft policy.

When BMC takes over plots

There are 1,104 recreation grounds and playgrounds, which span an area of 562 hectares in total while private clubs or institutes maintain 52 grounds. Most of these institutes belong to political strongmen. According to the draft policy, the BMC will take possession of these plots after paying 50 per cent of a cost determined by it as compensation for the facilities built by the caretaker. The civic body mentioned that the caretaker can still maintain these plots. The BMC will fix the cost of maintenance and pay them 50 per cent of the cost. However, the caretaker will only maintain the plot after it is acquired and they will have to follow BMC guidelines.

Sept 8
Day draft of policy was published