The Indian Express                17.09.2013

Bal Bhavan row ends, PMC to run facility jointly with trust

Putting an end to the controversy over control of Garware Bal Bhavan, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) standing committee on Monday approved the proposal allowing the civic body to run the facility jointly with Om Charitable Trust.

Started in 1980, the Bal Bhavan was named after Garware Group to acknowledge their financial contribution for the facility. In the past, the civic body signed two agreements with the trust, which ended in 2009. The trust had been paying Rs 17,000 a month as rent for the building and 1 acre open space near Sarasbaug. The facility is in the heart of city and is a well-known place for children to play and develop skills, for which the trust charges monthly fee.

However, a controversy broke out after the land adjoining Bal Bhavan was proposed for art gallery. The trust opposed it saying the move would mean encroaching on the land rented to them. Angry, elected representatives took the trust head-on and asked the civic body not to rent out the facility to the trust without issuing tender.

Accordingly, the civic body floated a tender after the civic administration pegged the rent at Rs 44,000 a month. However, the trust quoted Rs 60,000 a month for the facility and was the only bidder.

"The trust will pay Rs 60,000 a month as rent for the facility. The agreement will be for five years. The trust will run the facility jointly with the civic body," said Vishal Tambe, chairperson of standing committee.

He said the trust will have to reserve 25 per cent seats for children from PMC areas. "The civic body will sign an joint venture agreement with the trust and keep the rent reasonable. Otherwise, the rent would have been much more," said Tambe.

The standing committee also decided to form a committee to run Bal Bhavan and also set up a children counselling centre in the civic building.