Lokmat News Network
Chattrapati Sambhajinagar:
The Chattrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) has begun preparations to clear the roads in Gulmandi, known as the ‘Heart of the City’. On Thursday, the municipal commissioner G Sreekanth inspected the properties in Gulmandi. According to sources, the civic administration is thinking over the implementation of the land acquisition process and awarding Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) to property owners, before implementing the demolition drive.
The municipal corporation is taking action to take over the approved Development Plan (DP) roads in the city. Marking will be done on the DP roads, and the decision has been made to clear the roads in Gulmandi, which holds a significant identity for the city. The commissioner conducted an inspection in Gulmandi to assess the properties that would be affected by the road clearance.
He also examined the Sudarshan Medical building located behind the vehicle parking in Gulmandi, as well as the dilapidated buildings on the eastern side. The commissioner personally inspected both roads leading near the Hanuman Temple and reviewed the buildings in Rangar Galli. The process of property survey for road widening in this area has been stalled since 2011. However, with the commissioner now taking it seriously, there is a possibility that the roads in Gulmandi will be widened and cleared soon. The administration has started considering acquiring properties needed for the roads and compensating property owners in the form of TDR.
Demolition in 2011-12
During the tenure of then municipal commissioner Dr Purushottam Bhapkar, a major campaign for road widening in Gulmandi was aggressively carried out in 2011-12. This included clearing the road from Paithan Gate to Rangar Galli. After that, actions were taken to remove encroachments in Gulmandi, but extensive property acquisitions have yet to be completed.