The Congress has come out publicly against the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP’s efforts to revive the caretaker policy that could restrict the access of citizens to a handful of open spaces left in the city.
Amin Patel, the deputy leader of the Congress in the civic body and chairman of the Maulana Azad Minority Financial Development Corporation, said he is writing a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan urging him not to vacate the stay imposed by the government on caretaker policy.
He also said that the BMC should maintain all open spaces instead of allotting it to a private organisation.
“The BMC can develop the tennis court, football court if people need it but should be maintaining by the civic staff, there should not be clubhouse, no restaurant, and no bar. The entry should be free for the common citizens.
“Priyadarshani Park at Nepeansea Road would be the role model to develop the open space, which is running by a resident association, was allotted on the basis of the adoption policy,” he said.
Since November 2007, Hindustan Times has been highlighting the issue of open spaces where the civic body had decided to give away public spaces to private entities. The state government stayed the controversial policy in 2007.
{{/usCountry}}Since November 2007, Hindustan Times has been highlighting the issue of open spaces where the civic body had decided to give away public spaces to private entities. The state government stayed the controversial policy in 2007.
{{/usCountry}}Mayor Shubha Raul, from Shiv Sena, has decided to challenge the stay.
The municipal commissioner Jairaj Phatak said on Friday: “The ‘mayor’ is a separate authority under the civic law and she wants to go to the court. Till date she has not file the case to vacate the stay, so whenever the case would file will answer over it.”
Other officials also kept mum on the issue.
“It has become a political issue,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.