The policy had been pending for over a year. Citizen groups, resident associations and ALMs can now bid to adopt the civic-held recreation and play grounds. It will, however, not affect the existing clubs that have come up on civic plots under the old care-taker policy.
Despite protest by the Opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Civic Improvements Committee approved Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) new open spaces policy on Monday. As per the new norms, which effectively scrap the existing caretaker policy, the citizen groups and Advance Locality Managements (ALMs) will be able to adopt open spaces around them.
The policy had been pending for over a year. Citizen groups, resident associations and ALMs can now bid to adopt the civic-held recreation and play grounds. It will, however, not affect the existing clubs that have come up on civic plots under the old care-taker policy.
The new policy doesn't allow any construction on open spaces and the organisation that adopts should only maintain the area. This policy has found favour with the activists, who were opposed to the caretaker policy, after eight BMC plots were handed over to trusts run by Sena-BJP leaders. These plots were turned into clubs with limited access to the public.
According to BMC officials, with 2,968 hectares of open space, Mumbai has open space of about 2.48 sqm per capita. This figure, however, dwindles to 0.88 sqm, since most open spaces have been built upon, not in use, or allow only restricted entry.
The BMC's original policy on recreational grounds (RG) and playgrounds (PG) was stayed in 2007 by the then chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, after it emerged that private parties were misusing and usurping the civic-held plots.
Under the old policy, civic plots were given under a caretaker clause for a minimum 33-year lease. On plots measuring less than 15,000 sqft, construction was allowed on 25 per cent of land, and 33 per cent on larger ones. Officials said the caretaker was supposed to maintain the remaining portion for public use and charge a nominal amount as entry fee.
The new policy dumps the caretaker clause and instead provides for an adoption scheme on a five-year lease. An open space can be given to a citizens' group or NGO, and applies to public parks, grounds, gymkhanas, swimming pools, sports clubs and gardens.
"The new policy also eases norms for adopting open spaces. It only requires a deposit of Rs25,000 for adoption and the lease rent is also nominal. We will give preference to NGOs and citizen groups. We have fixed a marking system for adoption and local resident groups will get extra marks. This will be a very transparent system," said a senior civic official.
"While drafting the policy, we decided that there should be no construction on open spaces. We also wanted to ensure that there was unrestricted access for the public and the agency adopting it should maintain it completely," said a senior civic official.
At the moment, there are 1,052 open spaces in the city, of which 186 are under adoption, over 700 have been developed and 160 are being taken up by BMC's garden department.
){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}
 "BMC")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}