Bandra ground reservation change ‘legally and technically untenable’: Congress

Party raises a point of order during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s Standing Committee meeting on Thursday; chairperson directs civic administration to respond to it

Mumbai: In a last-ditch attempt to halt the proposed change in the land reservation of the Neville D’Souza Football Ground in Bandra, the Congress on Thursday raised a point of order during the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Standing Committee meeting, arguing that the move is “legally and technically untenable”.

The Neville D’Souza Football Ground, located at Bandra Reclamation, is one of Mumbai’s premier football venues. (Satish Bate/Hindustan Times)

The civic body has proposed changing the reservation of the plot at Bandra Reclamation from a playground/sports ground to a convention and exhibition centre. The controversial proposal, approved by the BMC’s Improvements Committee in June, is scheduled to be placed before the BMC House for final approval on August 10.

A point of order allows an elected member to formally question whether a proposal complies with the law and the rules governing the House. While it does not stop the proposal from moving forward, the civic administration has to examine and respond to the objections before proceedings continue.

The Neville D’Souza Football Ground, located at Bandra Reclamation, is one of Mumbai’s premier football venues. Developed by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) in 2018, the ground has a Fifa-standard artificial turf facility and regularly hosts Mumbai Football Association league games, grassroots coaching programmes, youth tournaments and community football events. It is one of Mumbai’s few dedicated football grounds, used by hundreds of players, academies and clubs throughout the year.

Legal and planning issues

Speaking to HT after the Standing Committee meeting, Congress group leader Ashraf Azmi said the objections to converting the ground into a convention centre went beyond concerns over shrinking open spaces.

“Much has been said about the loss of open spaces, but our point is that the proposal itself is not legally or technically sustainable. The ruling alliance has the numbers to pass it, but we have placed important legal and planning issues on record,” he said.

Ahead of the meeting, Azmi wrote to municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide on Wednesday and met her on Thursday, arguing that the proposal violates the Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR) 2034.

In his letter, seen by HT, Azmi wrote that an existing reservation can be changed only if an equivalent alternate site of similar area, accessibility, visibility and utility is simultaneously provided within the same holding. Since no alternate football ground or sports facility has been identified, the proposal would result in the permanent loss of a vital public amenity, the letter said.

Azmi also questioned the feasibility of reserving the 8,450 sq m (0.845 hectares) plot for a convention centre, pointing out that the DCPR prescribes a minimum plot size of around five hectares for such facilities.

The letter further argues that the proposal fails the test of public necessity, as there is a convention centre less than two kilometres away at the Bandra-Kurla Complex, while the surrounding road network is ill-equipped to handle the additional traffic such a facility would generate.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) backed the point of order, with Standing Committee member Yashodhar Phanse urging the administration to withdraw the proposal, saying hundreds of footballers train at the ground every day. Standing Committee chairman Prabhakar Shinde reserved the point of order and directed the civic administration to respond to it.

Widespread opposition

Since the proposal was tabled before the BMC’s Improvements Committee in June, it has drawn widespread opposition from footballers, residents, activists and politicians. An online petition opposing the move had garnered more than 10,500 signatures as of Thursday, while at least half a dozen elected representatives have publicly opposed the proposal amid allegations that the reservation change could ultimately benefit private developers at the cost of one of Mumbai’s few dedicated football grounds.

The BMC has maintained that the proposal was initiated following a request from the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada), which stated that the land had originally been reserved as a convention complex under the 1983 Bandra Reclamation layout.

Asked whether the Congress would challenge the proposal in court if it is approved by the BMC House, Azmi said the decision would be taken by the party’s senior leadership.

Municipal commissioner Ashwini Bhide could not be reached for comment.