HC orders new DD to complete development plan

Lokmat News Network Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Y G Khobragade, on Monday, issued a revised order granting relaxation to the Deputy Director (Town Planning) Shrikant Deshmukh to finalise the rough draft of city development plan and as per the provision under the act publish the plan and send the same to the state government for its approval.

The order also directs the deputy director Raza Khan to hand over the documents relating to the DP Plan work completed, so far, to Deshmukh immediately.

Today, the government pleader P K Lakhotiya submitted a request urging the bench for a correction in the order issued on dated October 25. Due to an oversight mistake the order (given in response to a contempt petition regarding the development plan) instead of respondent number 6, has ordered respondent number 4 (Raza Khan) to finalise the rough draft of the plan. Hence the court gave the above verdict.

It may be noted that a petition urging the state government’s move to give the responsibility of preparing the plan to the municipal corporation again contempt the order issued by the Supreme Court and the High Court. Later on, the state government has submitted an assurance of appointing an independent officer on government level in three weeks and also assure of handing over the work done so far to in three months to the special component. This plea was accepted by the bench on August 3, 2023.

Later on, Deshmukh was appointed in the Town Planning Section to head the DP Unit deployed in CSMC on August 31, 2023. However, the appointment was challenged by Vinod Agrawal. He stated that Raza Khan is senior to Deshmukh by six years. Hence the court should order the section concerned to allow Khan to continue with the present responsibility.

Senior counsel V D Sapkal represented the petitioner, senior counsel Sanjeev Deshpande and assistant government pleader P K Lakhotiya represented the state government.