Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) cleared properties obstructing the 100-foot road from Padegaon to MGM Golf Club on Wednesday. Religious sites in the area were also affected by the road. Hence a private individual on the opposite side agreed to give up his land for the road, which allowed the municipal corporation to alter the road’s alignment, thereby preserving the place of worship.
The Golf Club is located just 500 meters from the main road in Padegaon. The road in front of the Golf Club was previously 24 meters wide. In the new 2025 development plan, the road was widened to 30 meters (100 feet). Besides, the area which was marked as a Green zone was converted into Yellow zone, which is still pending government approval. Property owners in the green zone had plotted and sold their land, and citizens built multi-storey buildings, some costing Rs 50 to 55 lakh rupees. After municipal markings, 55 to 60 property owners voluntarily razed down 70 per cent of their property.
Allegations by property owners
Property owners in the area visited the municipality on Tuesday, claiming that the road alignment markings were incorrect. They alleged that areas given TDR (Transfer of Development Rights) were not properly marked. Acting on the suggestion of municipal corporation administrator G Sreekanth, the deputy director (town planning) Manoj Garje along with deputy engineer Kaustubh Bhave, and town planner Rahul Malkhede inspected the site on Wednesday morning. Their inspection confirmed that the markings were correct. They also noted that in 2013, when the road was 24 meters wide, TDR was granted to four individuals, and this land is still under municipal possession, which is now fully affected by the road.
Sacrifice to save mosque
On Padegaon’s main road, a mosque and madrasa had been constructed leaving only the original 24-meter road. Under the 30-meter road widening plan, 9 meters of the mosque and madrasa would have been affected. Rauf Haji, who owned land in front of the mosque, voluntarily gave up his property to save the mosque. As a result, the municipal corporation changed the road alignment, preserving the place of worship.