Mumbai: A proposal to change the reservation of Neville D’Souza Football Ground at Bandra Reclamation from a playground to a convention and exhibition centre triggered a political row ahead of its scheduled discussion in the BMC House next week. Opposition parties accused the governing dispensation of encroaching upon Mumbai’s shrinking open spaces and said they will strongly oppose the administration’s move.Congress MLA Amin Patel said the administration’s proposal undermines the need to preserve open spaces in a city already grappling with a severe shortage of playgrounds and recreational spaces. “Converting such spaces for built infrastructure, even if for public purposes, goes against the larger objective of preserving the city’s green and recreational areas.”
