Mumbai civic body to take back 19,000 square metre garden from private firm

It was alleged that the private body misused the property by exploiting it commercially.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Thursday told the Bombay high court it has decided to take back a Malad garden plot that it had alloted to a private firm for maintenance.

Senior advocate Anil Sakhare, who represented the BMC, said the civic body had started the process of taking the 19,152 sqm plot from the private body.

Senior advocate Anil Sakhare, who represented the BMC, said the civic body had started the process of taking the 19,152 sqm plot from the private body.

The senior advocate was responding to a PIL filed by 40-year-old businessman, Sachin Chavan.

According to the Goregaon resident, the BMC had given the prime plot near Vasri Hill in Malad (West) — reserved in the sanctioned development plan as recreation ground — to Venus Cultural Association to beautify, maintain and manage for five years from October 2007.

Chavan alleged the private body, however, started misusing the public property by exploiting it commercially.

He alleged though the plot was to be used only for recreational purposes, the private firm started giving it on rent for commercial ventures.

He said the public was not allowed to enter the ground and no action had been taken by civic officials despite complaints against the mismanagement and misuse of the plot.

He alleged no action was taken as members of the ruling Shiv Sena were involved in the management.

The Goregaon resident urged the court to direct the civic body to take back possession of the garden plot and make the recreational ground available to local residents.

A division bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and justice Nitin Jamdar, asked Sakhare to submit his statement as an affidavit, saying it was not willing to take just his words on record.