Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
On Jalna Road and Paithan Road, unauthorised constructions falling within the 60-meter (196 feet) road width have been demolished by the municipal corporation. However, the corporation is not immediately taking possession of the land. Instead, the affected property owners will be compensated through Transfer Development Rights (TDR), after which the land will be formally taken over, said Santosh Wahule, head of the Anti-Encroachment Cell.
On Paithan Road, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had marked 15 meters on each side of the road for widening a year ago. Based on that, property owners assumed the road ended there and built structures on what they believed to be their legally owned land.
Explaining further, Wahule clarified that after the 15-meter stretch belongs to the NHAI, the remaining 15 meters of land on either side belongs to the Public Works Department (PWD). The current demolition drive is being carried out on this PWD-owned land.
Wahule also underlined that very few property owners had official building permissions from the municipal corporation. For those who do have proper building permits and whose properties fall within the 60-meter widening zone, the municipal corporation will provide TDR as compensation. Once these owners submit their applications, the TDR process will be completed within 7 days, he said. Wahule clarified that the municipal corporation is not taking possession of the land immediately, but only acting against unauthorised constructions on it.