Initiates process to take back land from clubs, like MIG and Matoshree
Here is some good news for open space enthusiasts. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally initiated the process of taking back lands from nine clubs/trusts, including MIG Club in Bandra, Matoshree on Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road, Kamala Vihar Sports club in Poinsur, Prabodhankar Thackeray sports complex and swimming pool at Vile Parle and Prabodhan Krida Bhavan at Goregaon.
These trusts were handed the public open spaces in the mid-Nineties, with a mandate to develop them on ‘caretaker’ basis. The trusts were supposed to construct sporting amenities on the open space and hand them over to the BMC under the ‘developing agreement’. While the money spent by the trusts was to be treated as donation, the BMC was then supposed to hand over the maintenance of the developed open spaces to the same trusts. The trusts were allowed to construct on 25% of the open space, while the remaining was to be left open.
The plan, however, failed to meet its desired purpose when the operators converted these facilities into members-only clubs and began restricting access to the common public. Though the municipal corporation had been issuing them notices for various kinds of violations ever since, the clubs continued to make profits. Thousands were charged as membership fees. Action taken was sporadic and titular, as most of these trusts are headed by politicians.
Civic officials said that the operators are taking advantage of the BMC’s ‘deliberate’ delay in framing guidelines for taking back these lands and continue to retain these developed open spaces till date.
However, things are about to change for good. At a meeting held at the civic headquarters last Friday, and attended by senior officials from the development plan, estate and garden departments, it was decided to formulate a ‘uniform policy’ suggesting guidelines for taking back these lands. Additional municipal commissioner Anil Diggikar said that the three departments have been asked to coordinate with the deputy municipal commissioners of the municipal wards, where these open spaces are located, and put together a policy.
While Diggikar said that the policy was expected in a month or so, officials are indicating that formulating a document on the contentious issue will take some more time.
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