The Bhatia Baug in Fort recently developed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been lying closed for the last six months.
The Bhatia Baug near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) is a favourite leisure spot for local residents as well as thousands who visit the area.
It was developed by the civic body at a cost of Rs 3.39 crore. The restored garden was handed over by the civic garden department to the A ward office in August last year.
The garden was soon expected to be thrown open for the public by the ward office. However, it has been closed for six months.
RTI activist Sanjay Gurav said, “The garden has been closed for several months, causing lot of inconvenience to people visiting the CST area.”
“A few months ago, I had written a letter to the civic garden department asking it to provide some additional amenities there. However, the garden department informed me that the garden works have already been completed in August 2015 and handed over to the A ward office. But despite making repeated pleas about opening the garden for the general public, the ward officials have turned a blind eye to the demand,” he added.
Mr Gurav has threatened to file a PIL against the BMC if the garden is not opened for the public at the earliest.
A senior official from the A ward said, “Some of the small works in the garden are yet to be carried out. Hence, it was not opened for the public, but we are planning to open it by the end of this month.”
The BMC recently decided to provide sporting facilities at 152 open spaces across the city at the cost of Rs 112 crore. The civic body has decided to appoint ward-wise contractors for development and maintenance of 152 open spaces, 17 road dividers, two traffic islands and eight other places in the city.
