Mumbai: Maharashtra Government will soon undertake an inspection of all gymkhanas located on government land in Mumbai to ensure that all norms, including those in the lease agreement, are followed, an official said on Monday.
There are around 10 such gymkhanas on government land in Mumbai, and the state government gets around Rs two crore from them annually towards rent charges, the official told PTI.
The move comes in the backdrop of the Central Government asking Delhi Gymkhana to hand over its premises by June 5 to “strengthen and secure defence infrastructure” and for other public security purposes.
The new GR states that gymkhanas situated on leased government land in Mumbai and other districts “should be accessible to the general public”. It added that greater ease should be brought into the gymkhanas’ functioning, the government should receive increased revenue from gymkhanas, and greater transparency should be ensured in matters of membership appointments.
The purpose of appointing a new committee is to “make time-appropriate changes in the gymkhana policy and to review the existing policy,” the GR said. The committee will include the collectors of Mumbai city and Mumbai suburban districts, it added.
The decision comes amid mounting scrutiny over how elite clubs occupy prime public land in Mumbai. Over the past year, several gymkhanas have come under the state government’s lens over lease renewals, revised rents and compliance with new operational conditions.
Recent proposals and decisions involving gymkhana land have also sparked protests. Just earlier this month, the proposed handover of the Wilson College gymkhana to a Jain trust drew objections from priests, students and local residents, who questioned the use of land originally meant for educational and community purposes. In another case last year, the Catholic Gymkhana at Marine Drive came under scrutiny over lease and compliance issues.
