Aurangabad, June 3:
The state government, one and a half years ago, has ordered to draft a combined City Development Plan (integrating the new and the old). Accordingly, the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) was hoping to arrive DP unit (comprising expert town planners) from Nanded but sustained a shock as the government deployed the unit to Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation (BNMC). Hence the drafting of the combined DP plan has been delayed for an indefinite period.
Five years ago, the AMC prepared a rough draft of the development plan with a special focus on the extended portion of the city. The matter is now pending in the Supreme Court for the past many years. Hence, eight months ago, the state government ordered the AMC to draft one combine development plan including the old city and its extended portion. The works were expected to start from January 2021. The AMC's Town Planning (TP) section had corresponded with the state government requesting to deploy an independent DP unit for the task. Meanwhile, the state's DP unit was free after completion of preparing the development plan of Nanded. Hence it was hoped that the unit will come to Aurangabad. However, reliable sources informed that the DP unit has been sent to BNMC. Hence the AMC's wait for the new DP unit continues and efforts to start preparing the DP plan got delayed automatically. It is now apparent that the work of the DP plan has been postponed till the new DP unit is deployed by the state machinery.
DP plan delays due to politicians
It may be noted that eight petitions were filed in the Aurangabad bench of Bombay High Court challenging the AMC general body, which made changes in the DP plan, without having any authority. The High Court accepted the objections and ordered to scrap the plan. Initially, the AMC challenged the decision in the Supreme Court, but afterwards, the civic administration withdrew its name from the list of petitioners. The then-mayor, however, requested the Apex Court to continue the hearing with the mayor as petitioner. Later on, two mayors succeeding him also submitted an undertaking to continue the hearing so as to support the mayor's petition. Hence the matter is sub judice in the Apex Court.