The citizens’ battle to reclaim open spaces got a boost on Friday with half-a-dozen groups from Bandra, Khar, and elsewhere coming together to take on Khar Gymkhana.
MUMBAI: The citizens’ battle to reclaim open spaces got a boost on Friday with half-a-dozen groups from Bandra, Khar, and elsewhere coming together to take on Khar Gymkhana.
Citispace, Gazdar Scheme Residents Trust, Pali Hill Residents’ Association, Agni, H/West Ward Citizens’ Trust, and social activist Shailesh Gandhi joined hands with the Khar Residents’ Association to highlight the alleged misuse of public property by the gymkhana, which, they said, was worse than privatising it.
Gandhi, known for his work on the right to information, said, “They (the gymkhana) cannot stop people using the ground when they are in unauthorised occupation of the land after the lease has expired.”
Citispace member Vidya Vaidya said, “Something is going wrong. Local people are not getting to use open spaces in their vicinity.” Amenities on public spaces need to be open to the public, she said.
The groups said vested interests were letting ambiguity rule on the issue. “There is a difference between collector land and BMC land,” Vaidya said. “In this case, the violations are on collector land, but they sidetrack the issue by saying there is access to the adjacent BMC ground.”
The citizens were appalled that ministers were overturning government regulations. “How can the revenue department, which is supposed to collect revenue, stop action against such illegality?” said Shyama Kulkarni, chairperson, H/West Ward Citizens Trust.
KRA member Anandini Thakoor said, “It’s been over 15 days, but there is no response from the chief minister or his office to our representation.”
Despite the residents’ rising anger, the situation on the ground may not change. Vishwas Patil, suburban collector, told DNA, “I have not received any communication from the CM’s office. The matter is anyway with the state government as the new policy on these lands is to be formulated.”
The collector was supposed to have submitted a report on the dispute to the revenue minister, but no deadline has been set. The chief minister’s office said Vilasrao Deshmukh had just returned from a foreign tour and would look into the matter soon.
Rebutting the charge of politicising the matter, Thakoor said, “The local MLA (from the Congress) is upset that the local corporator (from the BJP) helped us. But we approached everyone. We will take help from anyone who comes forward.”
If no one helps, she said, the residents would move court.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}