Former Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Shailesh Gandhi appealed Mumbaikars to participate in his petition and seeks State Chief Minister Fadnavis’s intervention to save open spaces.
Asserting that city open spaces have been “usurped by politicians, Ex-CIC and senior Right to Information (RTI) activist Mr. Shailesh Gandhi alleged that the state government has failed to take up the cause seriously. He has come up with the online petition on ‘change.org’ and asked Mumbaikars to sign the petition for open spaces in the city.
In written texts in the petition urging the Chief Minister to intervene, he said “Just four months ago, people of Mumbai applauded your principle stand that BMC should take back all open spaces which had been given to private parties. Citizens had protested BMC’s attempt to alienate their rights over their property.”
“We hailed your response to safeguard citizen’s interests. Many open spaces have been taken back. We did note that the open spaces usurped by politicians were not taken back, on the excuse that this would be done in a phased manner,” he further said.
Gandhi further termed as “dishonest”, the reported move to allow a few open spaces to remain the possession of some private parties.
“This is dishonest. It appears that some private organisations with personal interests, fronts for many politicians, will be allowed to continue their hold over such spaces. This is a dishonest and condemnable move to deprive citizens of their open spaces,” he said.
Gandhi, a noted RTI activist, said there is no need to hand over property belonging to the deprived men to a few.
“We expect you will stop this nefarious move and ensure these open spaces are taken back by BMC before 30 July, 2016,” said Mr. Gandhi in the petition on ‘change.org’, which will be handed over to the CM soon.
“In this slimy manner many open spaces have been allowed to be usurped earlier. This has been done in the garb of it being a ‘policy’. Citizens are aware that only the lands in the possession of politicians have not been taken over so far,” Gandhi said.
Concluding his petition, Gandhi reposed faith in Fadnavi’s and urged him to take back the open spaces.
“We have faith that you will do this. You have the power, responsibility and a duty to do this. If this is not done, citizens will know which corporators betrayed them and give their response in the municipal elections next year,” said the veteran activist in the petition.
About 223 people have participated in the petition by far.
Please sign this petition to Save Open Spaces in Mumbai from being usurped with State connivance:
