August 7: Governor P C Alexander today promulgated an ordinance to amend the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act to facilitate temporary use of playgrounds for the 10-day Ganesh festival starting on September six.

Chief Secretary Dinesh Afzalpurkar said a division bench of the Bombay High Court had prohibited use of any space reserved as playgrounds for any other purposes except for a day.

Due to this restriction, it had become practically impossible for people to organise any public celebration of any religious, social or national events. Secondly, the state government was coming under pressure from various social organisations regarding non-availability of open space for Ganesh festival, Navratri, Ramleela. Accordingly, a new section was inserted to provide for use of playgrounds for a period not exceeding 12 days at a time and in any case not exceeding 30 days in the aggregate calender year.y

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