24 bodies asked to hand over plots

After taking over 36 open spaces, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has served notices to another 24 organisations in the city asking them to hand over the plots allotted to them under the previous adoption policy. One plot each was allotted to organisations belonging to former Shiv Sena MLA Vinod Ghosalkar and prominent builder Niranjan Hiranandani.

The second list of 24 plots include prominent open spaces and gardens like Marine Street ground, Dhobi Talao; Maharshi Karve Park, Wadala; JR Mehta Udyan, Sion; Bhagwan Mahavir Udyan, Worli; Bandstand garden, Bandra; Madhukar Kulkarni Udyan, Bandra; the garden near Vidyanidhi School, JVPD; Garden at Kandarpada, Dahisar and Powai Ground.

Of them, the recreation ground near BEST depot at Kandarpada, Dahisar (east), was given for maintenance to Dahisar Sports Foundation, which belongs to Mr Ghosalkar, whereas the open space at Adi Shankaracharya Marg, Powai, was allotted to M/s Lake View Developers run by Mr Hiranandani.

Other prominent organisations, to which plots were allotted include the Rotary Club of Bombay Uptown, Reliance Energy, Rizvi Builders, Upnagar Shikshan Mandal, Powai Developers etc.

Last week the BMC took over 36 plots that were first served notice for handing over as their agreement had expired. The civic body aims to take over 216 open plots in the city, which were given to private parties under the previous adoption policy.

“As we have issued notices to 24 open spaces, we have also started the process of filing caveats in courts to pre-empt any possible attempt to stall the action of taking over these plots as we had done in the first phase,” said a senior civic official.

After the new open space policy was passed in the BMC, CM Devendra Fadnavis, taking note of public wrath, had asked the civic body to review the policy.