Sena buys time over open spaces policy

SENA FEARS A MAJORITY IN THE GENERAL BODY WILL VOTE AGAINST THE POLICY, INCLUDING ITS ALLY, THE BJP

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena has decided to buy time to convince its ally the Bharatiya Janata Party to support the controversial open spaces policy. That is why the Sena does not want to table the policy before the general body of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation this month.

Sena fears a majority in the general body will vote against the policy. That is because the BJP, having initially supported the policy, made a complete U-turn last month.

At present, the policy stands approved by the group leaders and improvements committee of the BMC; but citizens have criticized the new open spaces policy for having several loopholes. Because of this, the BJP wants to withdraw the policy approved by the improvements committee.

Not to be outdone, the Sena now plans to meet all group leaders again, and will try to convince them, especially its ally BJP, not to vote against the policy.

Should the Sena push through the policy, it will suffer embarrassment and loss of citizen activists’ support ahead of upcoming civic elections.

After a gap of eight years, last month the civic body came up with a new open spaces policy. The new policy has done away with the practice of giving plots on caretaker basis; but several citizen groups have opposed the policy which, they say, has certain loopholes which could allow a repeat of the caretaker policy.