Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
It is the responsibility of building inspectors working in the anti-encroachment section of the municipal corporation to ensure that no unauthorised construction takes place anywhere in the city. However, over the past few years, thousands of illegal structures have come up within the 60-meter zones on Jalna Road and Paithan Road. Property owners are now questioning why the building inspectors did not stop these constructions when they were happening.
On Jalna Road alone, 1,364 property owners have been affected. On Paithan Road, the number of affected people is estimated to be around 1,400 to 1,500. Both roads were always known to be 60 meters wide, and this fact was known to municipal corporation officers and employees. Yet, did they ever put up signboards warning citizens not to build within the road limits? Did they issue any warnings? Did building inspectors serve notices to those constructing illegally? These are the angry questions now being raised by the affected property owners.
Citizens are saying that the municipal corporation has suddenly started acting like someone hit them on the head with a rock overnight. Many of the affected people have been living along Jalna and Paithan Roads for two generations. The road did not suddenly become 60 meters wide in a single night.
In fact, the 1991 city development plan already showed Paithan Road as being 60 meters wide. The new development plan also shows the same width. So the biggest question is: Why did the municipal corporation fail to stop these unauthorised constructions from 1991 to 2025?