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Mumbai (The Hindu): A day after the Shiv Sena & BJP-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) cleared the much controversial open space policy, activists are working out a plan to intensify the opposition to the decision.
On Wednesday, the BMC house cleared the policy after the BJP backtracked on its earlier commitment to revise the policy following objections taken by the various citizens groups, NGOs and individuals.
The open space policy entails playgrounds and recreational grounds in Mumbai to be handed over to private players for their upkeep. Mumbai has around 1,068 playgrounds and recreational grounds, covering over 1,200 acre.
“This is not an open space policy, but kidnapping policy,” said Shailesh Gandhi, former Central Information Commissioner (CIC), who was actively campaigning against the policy. Mr Gandhi said that the administration has not been able to produce a single valid reason to come up with the policy. “Maintaining open spaces would have cost Rs 200 crore, which is not at all a big concern for a cash-rich civic body like BMC. If the BMC cannot maintain these gardens, they could have asked citizen groups or NGOs to adopt them,” he said.
Mr Gandhi said the policy allows handing over the legal rights of these open spaces to private players under the name of maintenance, which was a big concern. “Even though the civic body claims that the agreements are with riders, we fail to understand the reason behind handing over legal rights,” he said. Gandhi said he will write to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta to reconsider the decision.
Nayana Kathpaliya, trustee of Nagar, said it is as bad as any policy can possibly be.
“We had been opposing it right from the start. It is not only anti-city, but also serves the interests only of the political lobby. The open spaces are now free to be grabbed,” she said.
Ms Kathpaliya said the citizens’ groups will be holding a meeting on Monday to discuss the strategy on how to proceed further. “The BJP had opposed it, but they backtracked at the last minute. It is a pure political move. Citizens need to build pressure on the government,” she said.
While Sena leader Trushna Vishwasrao called it a great step that has necessary safeguards and one which aims at bringing discipline in maintaining open spaces, the opposition termed it as an attempt to jeopardize cities’ open spaces. “The BJP must explain how it changed its stand suddenly,” said Sandeep Deshpande of Maharashtra Navnirman Sena.
Photo credit: The Hindu
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