The NCP yesterday launched a scathing attack on the state government for continuing to give away the city's precious open spaces. On Thursday, Dhananjay Munde, leader of opposition in the state legislative council, visited a recreation ground (RG plot) in Andheri that had been whittled away to just 10% its original size for the benefit of star hotels near the international airport.

The plot was originally marked as a recreational ground in its entirety in the in 1991 Development Plan (DP). However, in 1992, the then state government changed the rules, allowing 50 percent for construction of hotels, as the plot was near the international airport. This change was made with the rider that the remaining area was to be developed as an RG and handed over to the BMC. Accordingly hotels were set up on the land, but the remaining 50 per cent was never handed back to the civic body.