Despite declaring that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) would provide civic services to buildings on private layouts, residents living there are still deprived of them.
During the budget for 2014-15, the BMC had said it had decided to provide civic amenities to people living in private layouts (cluster of buildings on non-BMC land). The BMC would bear two-thirds of the cost of maintenance of civic amenities in private layouts in the city and suburbs, while one third would be borne by the residents.
However, with hardly a month left for the announcement of the next budget, the decision has not been implemented yet. Corporators have blamed it on the lack of proper policy.
NCP corporator Dr Saeeda Khan from Kurla said, “People living in private layouts are not getting basic civic services such as water supply, sewerage system, roads, storm water drains, streetlights from the BMC. The water and sewage lines in these colonies have been damaged. The BMC should implement an urban planning scheme for them.”
Ms Khan, said BMC’s rule under section 63(K) was an obstacle. It states, residents in private layouts should announce roads on their premises as public to avail civic services.
Dr Khan said, “In my ward in Kurla, there are two private layouts – Kapadia Nagar and Taximen’s Society. Roads in these colonies are already being used by the public.”
Civic officials said it was the residents’ reluctance to pay the cost of maintenance which was a hurdle in providing them civic services. Additional municipal commissioner SVR Srinivas said, “If they are willing to follow rule we will provide them civic amenities.”
