The ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance on Monday approved the Recreational Ground-Playground (RGPG) policy in the civic improvements committee, thus paving the way for open spaces in the city to be given on adoption basis, which won’t allow constructions on these plots. However, the move was met with fierce resistance from Opposition parties, who wanted the civic body to come clear on open plots earlier given to politicians under the caretaker policy, which has been scrapped in the new policy.
Demanding that the BMC should take back these plots allotted to trusts controlled by political parties, Opposition corporators alleged that they have been misused for constructing clubs and restaurants, but general public was being denied entry to them.
Samajwadi Party corporator Ashraf Azmi said that whenever RGPG plots were given out in the past there was some violation or another. He questioned the civic body’s move to allot open spaces on an adoption basis. “The BMC is a service-providing entity, but by inviting housing societies, business associations, corporate houses, which want to use their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) fund – to adopt open spaces, it is commercialising the entire activity. These organisations may start charging an entry fee to those visiting the space. Thus poor people would be deprived of enjoying the city’s open spaces,” said Mr Azmi.
Congress corporator Mohsin Haider said there is no need for such a policy as the funds for the gardens department lapse every year. “In the year 2014-15, the BMC gardens department budget was '417.97 crore, of which only '275.5 crore were spent. The budget this year is '439 crore. Why is there a need for adoption policy, when the BMC has such huge funds at its disposal ” he asked.
Due to protests from Opposition parties, improvements committee chairman Prakash Gangadhare sought voting, in which the RGPG policy was passed just by one vote. While Sena-BJP corporators (12) voted in favour of the policy, there were 11 votes from Opposition party members.
“The policy was already passed in the group leaders meeting in October last month. It needed to be passed so that open spaces in the city are maintained well and do not get encroached,” said Mr Gangadhare.
According to the civic data, there are 1,067 open plots admeasuring 1,200 acres in the city. In the RGPG policy, the civic body has decided to give preference to public trusts or non-government organisations (NGOs) with a sound financial background to maintain them.
