Gunthewari Woes: AMC hints at action against architects collecting money to regularise properties

Aurangabad, Nov 2:

The acting deputy director (Town Planning) section at Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) A B Deshmukh hinted at taking action against architects on the panel if the section finds demanding or collecting money to submit the proposal of regularising the illegal properties under the Gunthewari Act, in the respective ward offices.

A meeting under the chairmanship of Deshmukh was held at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Research Centre today. The Head of Gunthewari Cell Sanjay Chamle, sectional engineer G V Bhange, S L Kulkarni and Pooja Bhoge were also present in the meeting.

It may be noted that there are 52 architects appointed by AMC on its panel. They have to offer their services free of cost to the citizens desirous to regularise the properties. The AMC will be paying them an honorarium on each file. However, the civic administration has received complaints that few architects are demanding or taking Rs 500 to prepare and submit the proposal or file in the ward office. The section officials also mentioned that the citizens had also complained to them that they are not getting adequate information from this panel of architects. The section officials are investigating the allegations. If anybody is found guilty, the AMC would instigate a criminal inquiry against them, pointed out Deshmukh.

The new deputy director (Town Planning) said, " The complaints of asking for money is very serious. The architects on the panel should help citizens in preparing files on priority. They should also apprise them about the benefits they would be getting after regularising their properties under Gunthewari Act. If there are any problems faced by the architects, then we will resolve them on priority."