At the meeting, chaired by Chandrashekhar Rokde, Deputy Municipal Commissioner in charge of gardens among other portfolios, residents spelt out their priorities: release of open space from encroachment, beautification and greater access to the administration.

Right at the onset, residents of Bandra (west) demanded to know why a year-old proposal to beautify Carter Road was gathering dust. ``Will you assure us through this meeting that the necessary permissions will be granted within a time frame?'' queried a resident even as Rokde tried to explain to her the roadblocks in approving such proposals. A representative of a residents' associationinformed that the Indian Oil Corporation was putting up Rs 50 lakh for beautifying Carter Road. The BMC should similarly simplify procedures for granting permissions for beautification of gardens so that more private parties are encouraged to pitch in, it was mooted.

A participant suggested that the BMC's garden department liaise between corporate houses and the departments involved in granting permission for adoption of gardens. A proposal that a committee comprising citizens' representatives and civic officials to hasten the process of obtaining permission was however shot down by Rokde and architect P K Das. Residents should directly approach the BMC, said Das and Rokde. Other participants also felt that every citizen should get a chance to interact with civic officials directly, and that proposals should not have to be routed through committees.

To ensure that gardens are maintained properly, the participants suggested that the nominal fee of Re 1 being collected by private parks be hiked. Rokde saidhe would convey this suggestion to the administration. The DMC added that similar such meetings have ben planned in the future between the BMC and citizens.