Govt hands over Mumbai’s Cross Maidan to BMC, for maintenance and commercial use

The city collector has been asked to clear encroachments, if any, and hand it over to the civic body as the government has no mechanism in place to maintain open spaces

The Maharashtra government has decided to hand over Cross Maidan, near Churchgate, to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for maintenance and other usage, including commercial use to generate revenue that can in turn be used for its maintenance. The state government took this step thinking that the local body is maintaining all the open spaces in the city and the state has no such mechanism to perform that duty.

Cross Maidan in Churchgate. (HT FILE)

The state revenue department on Monday issued orders to the city collector to hand over Cross Maidan to the BMC on few conditions. The city collector has been asked to remove encroachment if any and then hand it over to the civic body for maintenance, protection and management purpose, the order said.

The state also said the BMC will have the right to allow commercial use of the maidan but will have to follow Rules for the Allotment of Plots on Cross Maidan in Bombay, 1988. The rules allow use of land for commercial purpose such as circus etc. for 90 days in a year.

The BMC will have all the right on the revenue generated from commercial use and it can use that for maintenance and other purposes. The state will have no right on that revenue. However, the government will continue to remain the owner of the land and BMC will give it back to the state, whenever needed.

Manukumar Srivastava, principal secretary, state revenue department, said they have no mechanism in place to maintain open spaces. “The BMC maintains all the open spaces and gardens of the city, so it was decided that Cross Maidan be handed over to the civic body for better use and maintenance,” Srivastava told HT.

The BMC already has plans for Cross Maidan. It will build an underground two-level parking facility for more than 5,000 four-wheelers. A proposal for this was part of the revised draft development plan — 2034.