Unsaid agreement robs open space from locals

In an reply to an RTI filled by resident Alok Chaudhary, BMC discloses the playground  (CTS number 636B) is civic authorities property and Zagdu Singh Charitable Trust are mere caretakers

Grabing of open spaces by private parities in Mumbai could not get worse than this. Last week, Cityplus had reported how Thakur Polytechnic College and Thakur Institute of Aviation Technology, both managed by Zagdu Singh Charitable Trust, had been exclusively using a BMC playground (CTS number 636B). The college authorities has barred public from entering the playground, despite a BMC board clearing stating that the ground belongs to BMC.
The existing case has been further proved by an Right to Information (RTI) filed by resident of Thakur Complex. In a reply to the RTI, BMC states that the playground is been given to the educational institute without executing any agreement due to a stay order from the State Government. The college authorities had earlier made an application for adopting the playground. Though the BMC agreed to give the playground on adoption basis, in the absence of an agreement, the playground is available to the institute without any clause or a fixed time period of adoption. City
Today the playground is in the form of a beautifully manicured lawn with few jets belonging to the aviation institute parked on the ground. The only access to the ground is routed through the main gate of the college and no outsider is allowed to access the ground during any time of the day.
“We do not understand what the authorities are doing for so long. The BMC officials refused to give us any information earlier, which prompted us to file an RTI. Now, we know that the trust has not even executed an agreement with the BMC for adopting the ground. It means they are free to use the ground as per their wish. On the other hand, residents of Thakur Complex have no other open playground in the nearby vicinity. We plan to file another RTI to know more about the stay order,” says Alok Chaudhary, a resident of Thakur Complex who filed an RTI for the information.
MLA, Thakur Ramesh Singh, says,  “We have an agreement for the adoption of the ground. Of which, some part of the playground is available for public usage. I will look in the matter and resolve it soon.

--Shubhangi Ghadi