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SoBoites protest 'misuse' of public space, BMC in support

Marine Drive residents claim housing society has been using collector's land for private functions.

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Residents of G, H, E and F road on Marine Drive have started a signature and social media campaign to protest the alleged illegal usage of a 25,000 sq.ft recreational ground by one Shree Niwas Co-operative Housing Society.

The campaign is to bring the issue to the attention of the BMC and the collector. MLA Annie Shekhar and Ex-corporator for the Congress party Vinod Shekhar have supported the campaign and suggested the BMC take over the plot if the collector cannot maintain it. Annie Shekhar The campaign was launched on Saturday by Annie Shekhar. Apart from the signature campaign, the residents are campaigning on Facebook, Blogs and using SMSes to garner support.

The state government leased the plot to one Sonawala Company Ltd that was to maintain a tennis court, a garden and a fountain at the plot. However, it was sub-let to the Shree Niwas Co-operative Housing Society (CHS), which turned the plot into a concrete ground and three years ago planned to construct a club house on the plot three years ago. The residents of the area did not allow the construction of the club house.

Shree Niwas CHS maintains that they are not doing anything illegal. “We are not using the ground illegally. We have all the documents in place. We take permissions and pay license fees for the functions held on the ground. BMC and state collector’s office issue us all required permissions.

If what we were doing was illegal, why would the government issue us permissions,” said Manmath Kaulase, manager of the Shree Niwas CHS. “The ownership of the plot belongs to us, why should we then listen to others. We can do whatever we want within the framework of stipulated regulations,” he added.

The residents of the area claim that while they are deprived of the open spaces, the housing society in question is using the plot for parking school buses, tempos and store pandal decoration material. “The ground is given on rent for weddings, parties and functions which not only disturbs the residents but clearly violates and abuses the lease conditions. The security guards do not allow our children to play but allows students from Hindi Vidya Bhavan to use the playground,” said Shirish Shah, chairman of Marine Drive Residents Action Group.

Residents relentlessly followed up the issue with the concerned authorities and realised that even the BMC has raised an alarm on the issue. The residents have asked the BMC and collector office to discontinue the lease.

BMC has already issued notices to the collector and the residential society in this regard. “After it was noticed that no action was being taken by the collector, Municipal Commissioner Sitaram Kunte wrote  a letter to the collector in March stating that the ground was being misued. BMC have shown keenness to reclaim the plot if the collector cannot maintain the same,” said a senior civic official.

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