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Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Malabar Hill residents turn to Congress to save park from civic body
Ahead of the polls, the MHCF on Sunday invited newly appointed Mumbai Congress president and the party’s candidate from Mumbai South, Milind Deora to visit the park and speak to residents.
After a two-year tussle with the Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for retaining possession and maintenance rights of the plush 65,000-sq.m Priyadarshini Park (PDP) on Nepean Sea Road, the Malabar Hill Citizens’ Forum (MHCF) ,which maintains the park at present, has now turned to the Congress for support.
Ahead of the polls, the MHCF on Sunday invited newly appointed Mumbai Congress president and the party’s candidate from Mumbai South, Milind Deora to visit the park and speak to residents.
Suzie Shah, General Secretary of Priyadarshini Park and Sports Complex , said, “We do not have faith. There is mistrust due to events of the past two years.”
Shah added, “Deora assured us that he will work towards protecting open spaces, and ensuring they are used for the benefit of the public, over any realty interests. Regarding the park, he is on our side in our fight against the civic body to retain and protect this open space.”
The park was handed over to the MHCF in 1985 for maintenance on an adoption basis.
In December 2016, the BMC first sent a notice to MHCF, asking it to return the garden to BMC, alleging violations and breach of contract, locking the civic body in a two-year-long stand-off with MHCF. The citizens approached the Bombay high court, which directed the BMC to follow all due processes of law to take over the garden from residents. Subsequently, the BMC has made several attempts to acquire the garden.
According to BMC, about 5,000 square metres of land inside the park is reserved for a fire station in the DP 1991. This reservation has been carried forward in DP 2034 as well. It has been cited as one of the reasons for acquiring the park.
Most recently, the BMC sent MHCF a notice in January 2019, asking them to vacate the park by February 1, 2019, or they would be treated as illegal tenants.
The MHCF approached court yet again, and BMC has been directed to follow due process to acquire the plot, which includes a public hearing to the Citizens’ group.
After his meeting with MHCF, Deora took to social media and said, “I have always spoken out and supported the ‘Save PDP’ movement, to ensure that the park remains under citizen control . ... (at) a morning walk today, shared ongoing efforts to push back BMC takeover of the PDP.”
Deora didn’t reply to our calls and text message.
