Mumbai: Amid allegations that it is handing over the city’s open spaces to private players, BMC is seeking corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds to upgrade around 70 parks, gardens and lakes. An open spaces policy for the city has been in limbo for 10 years.Opposition parties and urban planners cautioned against allowing third parties to carry out such work, saying it could serve as a “backdoor entry” to private entities to take over open spaces and restrict public access. BMC officials said all control will remain vested with the civic body.Under the ‘Participate Mumbai’ initiative, companies that come forward will carry out the work as per the civic body’s specifications but won’t get any right to the land. They can only erect small commemorative plaques at the sites. They will have to spend around Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore per park depending on the size and the upgrade required.BMC has also sought equipment and other installations for schools and hospitals, among other items, under the initiative.Civic officials said Participate Mumbai is a unified platform connecting citizens, corporates and organisations to channelise CSR resources and volunteer efforts towards the city’s sustainable development. “The entire list of projects and items needed is put up on the Participate Mumbai portal. Companies can look at parks and gardens they want to contribute to and then approach BMC. No third-party rights will be created and the corporates won’t get any control over the parks. All control will be with BMC. The companies will just upgrade and develop the parks and BMC will remain their owner and operator,” said a senior official.City BJP president MLA Ameet Satam, who had urged BMC earlier this year to create a dedicated CSR dashboard or a platform that would give philanthropic organisations and individuals an opportunity to contribute towards the city’s development, said, “There are so many individuals/trusts that want to contribute towards the city but don’t know how to do it. This platform will give opportunities to philanthropists to contribute in a transparent manner.” He said the initiative will not only help BMC save Rs 1,000 crore annually but will also allow citizens to be involved in the work.Samajwadi Party MLA Rais Shaikh said it was a good initiative but asked that BMC upgrade and maintain all open spaces on its own. He said the CSR model should be used only for items required for schools and hospitals. “This is a classic example of good ideas being killed by babus. There is a fear that once a corporate spends CSR funds, it will try to take over open spaces and control access to it. This must be prevented at all costs. Given the fund crunch in BMC, Participate Mumbai is a good way to involve charities in the city’s development, but BMC must not be made to give up its ownership and control, especially over open spaces, which has happened in the past.”Nayana Kathpalia, trustee, Urban Design Research Institute and NGO Alliance for Governance and Renewal, concurred. She said public open spaces should be managed entirely by BMC, as handing them over to private entities often restricts public access. “This is particularly important when BMC has the funds to maintain and manage these spaces while ensuring that they remain accessible to citizens. Public open spaces are vital to the city and its residents.”
