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To take back 216 plots from 200 organisations * Will start issuing notices from today Over 200 organisations will have to part with 216 parcels of open space very soon. Brihanmumbai

Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Ajoy Mehta has asked his staff to issue notices to the organisations. Two days earlier, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had ordered a review of the

open-space policy. While many plots are under the control of organisations affiliated to political parties, citizen groups, NGOs, resident associations and public trusts also control some.

All of them will now have to give the plots back. And guess who owns the maximum open space? The Shiv Sena, with over 11 lakh sq ft of prime land. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Gopal

Shetty has offered to return the open space under his party's control. Mehta has told garden department officials to issue notices to all organisations that have taken over 216 BMC

playgrounds and recreation space. According to senior civic officials, the BMC would start issuing notices from Tuesday. "Many organisations even have multiple plots. We will give them

reasonable time. A site inspection will be conducted to ensure that the plots are encroachment-free. We will maintain them till the new policy is in place," said a senior civic

official. Following a hue and cry over the present policy that would deprive citizens free access to open spaces and hand over their maintenance to corporate houses, a BJP delegation, led by

its city chief Ashish Shelar, had met Fadnavis last week. Several BJP leaders like Andheri (West) legislator Ameet Satam had openly opposed the policy. "There is a lot fear about the

policy on people's minds. They think that the city's open spaces will be usurped. Over 200 existing open spaces that are with various organisations should be taken back. A review

of the policy should be done so that open spaces are available for Mumbaikars," Fadnavis had directed Mehta. Fadnavis also asked Mehta to review the policy and submit a report to him,

virtually staying the controversial policy for now. "All plots must be taken back immediately. This is public land and people must get free access to them. We want the BMC to maintain

them, not private organisations. We have also called for re-opening the policy and we will suggest major changes in the current anti-citizen policy," Satam said.