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MUMBAI, December 7, 2015Updated: December 7, 2015 09:00 IST

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The Oval Maidan is among the few lung spaces open to citizens. Many open spaces have become inaccesible to people over the past few years—Photo: Prashant NakweTOPICSIndiaMaharashtra

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The new policy, which allows Mumbai’s open spaces to be adopted by public trusts and non government organisations with a turnover of more than Rs.5 crore as caretakers, was passed by the Improvements Committee.Over 1,067 open plots admeasuring nearly 1,200 acres face the threat of vanishing if the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation passes a new

Recreational Ground/Playgrounds Policy (RGPG) allowing private parties to act as caretakers, the data from the civic body indicates.

The new policy, which allows Mumbai’s open spaces to be adopted by public trusts and non government organisations with a turnover of more than Rs five crore as caretakers, was passed by the Improvements Committee of the Brinhanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on November 9. Though it is yet to be passed by the house and restricts construction on the plot, the Opposition and citizen’s groups fear that it could open a back-door entry to private builders and corporate companies to take over public open spaces.

When the proposal was brought before the Improvements Committee, members of the Opposition parties including Congress, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, the NCP, and Samajwadi Party strongly opposed it, forcing the committee to go for a vote. Supported by the Shiv Sena and BJP members, the proposal was passed by a slender margin of one vote.

“We lost the vote but we will oppose this tooth and nail if it is ever brought to the house for voting. We have had instances where open spaces were given to private individuals including political leaders, and over the years, they were developed as private property, and remain inaccessible to the common man now. Why should the BMC give away its land in such a way,” Dilip Lande, MNS corporator and member of the Improvements Committee told The Hindu.

He pointed out that BMC is cash-rich municipal corporation and can easily maintain its open spaces. “The budget for gardens was Rs 385 crore in 2013-14, and the BMC used only 18 per cent of it. Even if it maintains two gardens in each ward, it can easily spend this budget without giving this in private hands,” said Lande, who as a corporator takes care of a public garden in Kurla West. “I have been maintaining it for last eight years. It is free for anyone, and people are happy to use it,” he said.

A citizens’ collective working to protect city’s open spaces and corporators like Mr Lande say several political leaders acquired BMC land, and developed facilities like gymnasiums, swimming pools that cannot be accessed by the common man. “Who can afford a Rs 5 lakh-membership to use the gymnasium and the swimming pool? In contrast, a BMC-run swimming pool facility near Odeon cinema in

Ghatkopar has an entry fee of Rs 25 and is used by common people,” Mr Lande said.