Additional Municipal Commissioner SVR Srinivas, one of the officials who drafted the largely unpopular Recreation Ground/Play Ground Policy explains to Varun Singh why the BMC needs such a scheme
Q. mid-day: Has the BMC decided to reintroduce the caretaker policy due to shortage of funds?
A. Srinivas: I’m surprised the RG/PG policy has run into controversy. The BMC has sufficient funds. The idea is to increase public participation in maintening open spaces. We are even welcome to handing over charge to anybody else who is interested.
Additional Municipal Commissioner SVR Srinivas
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Q. mid-day: There are many open spaces currently managed by private parties. Many are opposed to the policy as well. How would you respond to them?
A. Srinivas: There are 225-odd open spaces across the city maintained by citizens and groups under the Caretaker policy. Their term is coming to an end. Some of them are part of the protesting force. We don’t mind taking back control of those spaces if they so wish.
Q. mid-day: Critics allege that the policy favours corporates. Is this true?
A. Srinivas: The policy is very clear about the fact that citizens’ groups will be given preference. Corporates do not have any tangible profit in this, so the only motive could be usurping the land. Why will we let that happen?
Q. mid-day: Former CIC Shailesh Gandhi alleges the earlier Caretaker Policy was even worse, but the BMC got away with it because of low public awareness...
A. Srinivas: It can’t be said the level of awareness is higher now, because there is no way of measuring it. Ten years from now awareness will be greater.
Q. mid-day: What is the difference between the older Caretaker policy and the new ‘Adoption’ policy?
A. Srinivas: We are trying to make organisations more accountable for the gardens they are in charge of. For starters, we will bring them under the Right To Information Act. Unlike in the past, no constructions will be allowed in these open spaces, except to build toilets. This will put an end to past incidents where construction was carried out in parks by the caretaker organisations.
Q. mid-day: Many say the policy is flawed. As someone who had a large hand in drafting it, what do you have to say about these claims?
A. Srinivas: I am not saying that it is a perfect policy, but it will, at least, introduce some regulation. Improvements can be further added in the policy through circulars, as and when needed. It took me more than one and a half years to convince various parties so we could bring the open space policy to where it is today. The city needs a policy, and we are giving it one.
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