Mumbai: Environmental activists and civil society organisations are contemplating legal action if the proposed 20-fold entry fee hike to visit Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan (Rani Bagh) in Byculla is passed by the Standing Committee of the BMC on Friday.
Members of Save Rani Bagh Botanical Garden Foundation and NAGAR, a citizen initiative, on Tuesday said visiting open spaces is not only imperative for mental and physical health, but also a fundamental right. They were referring to the Supreme Court’s expansion of Article 21 (Right to Life) to include Right to Healthy Environment.
The opponents of the hike said the move is anti-poor, as the individuals from economically weaker sections account for a majority of Rani Bagh’s footfall. There was no entry fee till 1960.
“Historically, it is imperative to keep it open to all. This fee hike would erect a monetary barrier and allow selective entry to those who could afford,” said Meher Rafaat, trustee of NAGAR.
Hutokshi Rustomfram, trustee, Save Rani Bagh Botanical Garden Foundation, said, “The revenue streams and the expenditure streams (of the BMC) are watertight. There is no connection between the two. So if they’re saying that they’re taking more money from the public because they want to plough it back into Rani Bagh, it is a myth. It is an attempt to throw dust in the eyes. Because there is no such thing. There is no one box into which all the collections of Rani Bagh go, and the expenditure from that box is done. Everything goes into the municipal fund, and everything is spent as per the budgetary allocation, and as per whatever is decided by the House.”
The two organisations also opposed the lack of transparency and the arbitrariness of the decision. D.M Sukthankar, former Chief Secretary, said any claims stating that the additional revenue earned by the proposed hike will be used for the betterment of the garden and zoo are a gross oversimplication of the bureaucratic process involved in the budgetary allocation. He said the revenue would be directed to the Municipal fund.
A protest letter addressed to the Chief Minister has received no reply so far. The organisations have even spoken to BMC chief Ajoy Mehta on two occasions — July, 2016 and April, 2017.
