After the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) released a contentious policy for its open spaces last week, citizens and activists have raised their concern and expressed their opposition towards implementation of this policy. The BMC's proposal aims towards transferring ownership of civic body's open spaces to private caretakers under a caretaker policy. The proposal states that private schools, advanced locality management (ALM) groups, resident welfare associations (RWA), NGOs would be eligible to apply for adoption. The policy also states that those adopting the land parcels won't be permitted to use the ground for commercial purposes. The policy stated that the grounds that are currently in good condition and whose maintenance cost would be nearly Rs 500 per square metre, would be given out for adoption for a maximum 11-month period, while the grounds that are partially developed and require maintenance with cost going up to Rs 2,000 per square metre would be allowed for three-year-long adoption, while the open spaces that are in a precarious condition would be given out for adoption up to five years. The civic body at present has sought suggestions and objections from citizens and the deadline for suggestions is on October 10. Meanwhile, citizens have expressed their opposition to this policy. Activist Zoru Bhathen in a letter to the BMC has stated that the civic body shouldn't put up its gardens for adoption. “BMC has no shortage of people, expertise or funds to look after their own gardens. They certainly shouldn't outsource their statutory responsibilities to others through an adoption policy. We strongly object to this and call upon the administration to scrap it,” Zoru said. “Over the years, BMC has handed over so many plots on adoption or caretaker basis. So many of these plots have been misused over the years and so many of these plots haven't been handed over and the unprecedented misuse of BMC's garden policies is very long," said Zoru in his letter. Meanwhile, during the weekend, several citizens held a meeting at Santacruz aiming to oppose this policy. Former Central Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said, “There is no reason in the draft why the municipality wants to frame this policy for adoption. Why does the municipality want to give public land to private bodies? It has had a bad experience in the past. Even after a long follow-up, the municipality has not been successful in taking back the land given by the private organisation under the caretaker policy," Another citizen, Anil Galgali, said this week a delegation of citizens will meet Jitendra Pardeshi, superintendent of gardens in BMC. “We do not understand why the municipality wants to give public land for adoption. We will oppose this policy. We demand to reserve the land,” Galgali said. Meanwhile, civic officials from garden cell said the basic idea of giving these open spaces to citizens is to ensure they are being maintained in a better way. “If a garden is being adopted by citizens of a welfare group they will be used well, many gardens which are under the ward officers’ jurisdiction are in a precarious condition due to non-maintenance. Giving out the gardens for adoption will also ensure that there is accountability among people who are maintaining them," said the official.
