Champa Chowk-Jalna Road width challenged in High Court

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

A petition has been filed in the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court challenging the alignment of the "Champa Chowk to Jalna Road" section as shown in the final revised Development Plan (DP) approved by the state government. In relation to this case, the bench comprising Justice Manish Pitale and Justice Y G Khobragade, on July 28, ordered the State Government and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation to submit affidavits. The next hearing is scheduled after three weeks.

What is the petition about?

The petition, filed by Shaikh Israr and four others through advocate Devdutt Palodkar, states that in the 1975 Development Plan, the width of the Champa Chowk to Jalna Road was shown as 30 meters. Based on that, the municipal corporation had already undertaken land acquisition. A revised DP was prepared on April 18, 2001, which also showed the road as 30 meters wide. Following this, the civic administration granted TDR and building permissions to several property owners.

However, in the draft of the revised development plan published on March 7, 2024, the alignment of the road was shifted westward. After receiving public objections, the alignment was temporarily restored to its original path.

Change in final plan (April 2025)

On April 15, 2025, the final development plan was approved by the government. In this plan: the Champa Chowk to Jinsi stretch of the road was shifted westward again. Besides, the Jinsi to Jalna Road portion was reduced from 30 meters to 18 meters in width.

The petitioners have challenged this change and requested that the road be retained as per the 2001 plan (30 meters wide, original alignment).

Advocate Sambhaji Tope, representing the municipal corporation, informed the court that under the Municipal Corporation Act of 2005, a resolution was already passed by the corporation to maintain the road alignment as per the 2001 plan, and that this resolution would be sent to the government.

Waqf Board's intervention

Advocate Nazim Deshmukh, on behalf of the Waqf Board, filed an intervention application stating that waqf-protected property lies on the planned road. Based on the Waqf Board’s request, the road alignment was shifted. Advocate Shubham Khoche assisted Adv. Palodkar in the case.