Despite the public outcry and the directive from the chief minister’s office to the civic machinery, norms to safeguard the open spaces in the city continue to be violated.
Despite the public outcry and the directive from the chief minister’s office to the civic machinery, norms to safeguard the open spaces in the city continue to be violated.
The Dahisar Sports Foundation (DSF), led by senior Shiv Sena leader Vinod Ghosalkar, has begun inducting members to avail facilities at a recently redeveloped recreation ground at Kanderpada in Dahisar.
The facility was thrown open by Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday (see photo). Sena leader Subhash Desai and BJP corporator Gopal Shetty were also present for the occasion. Parag Masurkar, assistant municipal commissioner, also participated.
The four-acre plot belongs to the civic body and was allotted to DSF for development and maintenance on adoption basis a year ago. While the foundation managed to transform the plot into a garden themed on the Japanese promoted Zen philosophy, it has begun inducting members and charging annual fees from them. This is not permitted by policy rules framed for development and maintenance of recreation grounds on adoption basis.
While the policy allows the adopting agency to charge daily service charges (a maximum of Rs2 per person for plots where the investment is below Rs40 lakh) from users, it does not permit induction of members. It states that the facilities should be offered free for at least a day in a week.
Ghosalkar’s foundation has sent out applications forms for yearly memberships to housing societies in the area. An annual fee of Rs300 is presently being charged from senior citizens, Rs600 for single adult member, and Rs1,000 for a family plan.
Agreeing that this was a violation, RA Rajeev, additional municipal commissioner, said he would look into the matter.
Ghosalkar, however, did not see anything wrong. “Instead of charging a daily fee, I am collecting annual fees. Those who do not avail the membership plan will be allowed entry to the garden after paying daily charges.” He added that the DSF had the right to induct members and for this no permission of the civic body was required.
Ghosalkar said that the members could be a part of DSF’s future plans to set up a club house, a children’s park and swimming pool.
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