Access denied

Last week the general body of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) passed an interim policy for the city’s open spaces, allowing citizen groups, non-government organisations (NGO) and private organisations to maintain playgrounds, recreation grounds and gardens. The policy allows them to maintain the city’s open spaces for a contractual period of 11 months as long as they adhere to the BMC’s rules, including non-discriminatory access to all citizens, without charging any money.

Last year, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had given directions to reclaim all the 216 open plots which were given to private entities on adoption basis for maintenance. The objective was to allow indiscriminate access for common public at no cost and prevent the commercial exploitation of the policy. Following this, the civic body started reclaiming its recreational grounds, playgrounds and gardens.

The interim policy

According to the interim policy, private bodies can maintain open spaces as long as they provide non-discriminatory access, and free entry to citizens. The BMC disallows commercial or political activities on these plots. Under the policy, interested parties will have to apply to  the BMC to adopt an open space and will have to strictly adhere to BMC’s conditions. The application will have to be sent to a ward-level committee — comprising civic officials — which will scrutinise their eligibility and allot the spaces accordingly. The BMC is entitled to take back the plots without any notice.

Moreover, the caretakers will have to ensure that no construction is carried out on these plots, failing which they will lose the plots to the BMC. The entities will have to create large boards informing citizens that the open space is accessible to everyone and is free of cost. 

The BMC’s move on the interim policy comes at a time when 28 plots are yet to be reclaimed. Civic activists, and the Congress and NCP corporators have slammed the decision saying that the corporation has gone against the CM’s directives and passed the policy in haste. They allege that, of the 28 plots, most are in the possession of leaders in the BJP and Shiv Sena, and the corporation wants to benefit them by being lenient in reclaiming the plots.
DNA visited a few BMC plots which the civic body has failed to reclaim. Despite being civic plots, in many cases, not all citizens are not granted free entry. The plots are also commercially exploited.

Thakur ShyamNarayan High School

Thakur Village, Kandivli
The Kandivli East-based school is run by Thakur Education Trust. The 2,177 sq m plot next to the school has been reserved by the BMC as a playground. As per the document available with DNA, the plot is maintained by M/s Shyam Narayan Thakur School. Besides using the plot as a ground for its schoolchildren, the school has rented the ground to groups to play box cricket and football. The rental charges are: Rs 1,000 on weekday mornings and 1,500 per hour on weekday evenings. During weekends, the ground can be rented out in the day for Rs 1,800, and Rs 2,000 per hour on weekend evenings. 

The employees deployed on the ground told this reporter that one cannot play on the ground without any advance booking. The playground is free for Thakur school students, and for those who are ready to pay a hefty amount on hourly basis.

The employees are aware that the plot belongs to the BMC, and that the civic body has served notice to handover the plot.

Resident voice
The Thakur Trust has sublet the plot and exploits it commercially. No construction is allowed on the plot but they have constructed turfs. Even for playing football one has to shell out Rs 3,000 per hour, which is not only expensive but illegal. They do not allow free entry to play any sport. 
—Alok Choudhary 

Official speak
We have received the BMC’s notice to handover the plot and the handing over procedure is going on.
— Ram Singh Thakur, ex-MLA of Kandivli, BJP

St Xavier’s ground

Parel
The St Xavier’s ground in Parel which is adopted by Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA), of which Yuva Sena Chief Aaditya Thackeray is President, is a 16,000 sq m recreational ground of the BMC. But, it is open to public for only two hours in the morning and  evening.  

Resident voice
The MDFA has kept the ground open for two hours in the morning and evening, but people in the vicinity are not aware about it. The MDFA rents the ground and makes money out of it. MDFA is headed by Aditya Thackeray and Shiv Sena itself has passed the open space policy benefiting them. The MDFA will simply apply for extension of 11 months and the common public will never be able to utilise the open space.
—Nikhil Desai

Official Speak
There is no question of handing over the ground. It is adopted by the MDFA and according to BMC’s rule, we have applied to the Municipal Commissioner for extension.
—U Banerjee, Secretary of Mumbai District Football Association (MDFA)

Dilip Vengsarkar Cricket Academy

Chembur West
The cricket ground at the Dilip Vengsarkar academy, which is spread over 19,506 sq m, is a BMC-reserved playground which is being maintained by the Dilip Vengsarkar Foundation. The foundation is yet to hand over the ground to the civic body. If one has to play cricket here, the ground can be hired at Rs 30,000 per day.

When DNA visited the ground, the employees said that the cricket ground is booked for weekends for the entire year. The academy, allows the teams of Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to practice for free, a coach training the women’s cricket team informed.

Resident voice
Dilip Vengsarkar adopted the plot as a garden plot but has developed a playground only for his academy. Many SRA buildings are coming up in the area, but no one has access to the ground. The academy earns crores of rupees annually through rent. How can a BMC plot be allowed to exploit commercially.
—Rajkumar Sharma
Despite attempts, Dilip Vengsarkar was unavailable for comments. 

Poisar Gymkhana

Kandivli West
The Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Kridangan is a 40,805 sq m-BMC plot reserved as playground. As one enters the ground, one cannot miss the instruction boards which have stipulated jogging timings, what not to wear inside the premises, and a message that reads ‘Only for Life Members’. 

The Poisar Gymkhana has been developed under the leadership of BJP MP Gopal Shetty. Even as a caretaker of the BMC plot, the M/s Poisar Gymkhana offers various activities and facilities for all but with a price tag and restrictions. Jogging fees ranges from Rs 77 to Rs 1,475 depending on the time period. The fees to use the gym for non-members ranges from Rs 472 to Rs 4,248 depending on the time period.

Resident voice
The Gymkhana offers numerous activities but at hefty rates, which is a violation of civic rules. If they are giving facilities by charging money, then what is the use of it being a public plot?
—Vasant Patil

Official speak
I am out of town for the last 4-5 days, and I am not aware about handing over of the plot. Our gymkhana offers entry to all.
—Mukesh Bhandari, President of the managing committee of Poisar Gymkhana

Veer Savarkar Udyan

Borivli West
The Veer Savarkar Garden is a 25,395 sq m garden plot of the BMC which is maintained by M/s Poisar Gymkhana. The garden offers facilities — like a jogging track, and seasonal boating on the lake developed by the Gymkhana among others. Joggers have to pay Rs 2 per person to access the garden during the morning and evening peak hours. For other visitors during the day, the charge is Rs 5. The garden has hundreds of visitors daily. In the afternoon, many college students visit the lake but only after they have paid a price. 

A huge board has been fixed at the entrance gate, with a message from MP Gopal Shetty expressing his joy that the BMC has agreed to give the garden to gymkhana for maintenance. However, officials from BMC said that the garden is a civic plot and is yet to be handed over by Gymkhana.

An employee at the garden on condition of anonymity said, “The BMC says that even if you have adopted the plot you have to run the garden for free of cost. When the garden was developed people paid around Rs 18,000 for membership. Our monthly electricity bills cost at least Rs 50,000, and the garden employees appointed by the trust are yet to be paid. If we run the garden for free, how will we bear all these expenses? So, BMC agreed to give the plot to the Gymkhana for maintenance.”

Resident Voice
First of all, it is a public plot so no entry fee should be charged. But the gymkhana has told the BMC that they charge only Rs 2 but actually in daytime they charge Rs 5. If the caretaker is already giving the plot for commercial activities, they earn from it, there is no reason to charge entry fee.
— Meera Kamath

Official speak
I have been calling the BMC officials since last year to take over the plot as per their policy. We are ready to handover both the plots whenever the BMC officials are ready to take it and maintain it themselves. —Gopal Shetty, MP

28 plots to be reclaimed by BMC

Surakha Garden, Cuffe Parade
CPRA Garden, Cuffe Parade
Sabina Chandrashekhar ground, Opp Regal Cinema, Colaba
Priyadarshani Park, NapeanSea Road
Amarsons Garden, Bhulabhai Desai Road
St Xaviers Playground, Parel
Playground adjacent to 71/72 Sion Estate, Sion
Mai Mangeshkar Gardem, Shivaji Park
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Garden, Khar West
Meenatai Thackeray Maidan, SVP Road, Andheri East
Ground near Gayatri Apartment, Chakala, Andheri East
Ground near Mara village, Juhu, JVPD scheme
Karmayogi Pushpakant Anant Mhatre Playground, Mara village, Juhu JVPD scheme
Ground opposite Santosh Nagar, Chincholi Village, Gokuldham, Goregaon East
Ground near Varsi hill, near Rustamji Complex, Malad West
Gurunanak Garden, Tilak Nagar Road, Goregaon West
Sheila Raheja Garden, Khadakpada, Dindoshi, Malad East
Chhatrapati Shivaji Ground, Kajupada, Kurla West
Ground near Vatsalatai Naik Nagar, Suman Nagar, Chembur
Garden at Mahul, Chembur West (Dilip Vengsarkar cricket ground)
Garden plot in Mahaveer nagar, Kandivli West
Shyam Narayan Singh Thakur Manoranjan Maidan, Near Thakur Vidya Mandir, Thakur Complex
Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Kridangan, Poinsar Gymkhana, Kandivli West
Ground next to Shyam Narayan School, Opp Dream Park, Kandivli East
Ground in Parekh Nagar, Spring club, Kandivli West
Ground in Parekh Nagar, Kandivli West
Swatantryaveer Sawarkar Garden, Borivli West
Garden at Devidas Junction, D P Road, Goregaon West