Aurangabad, Aug 3:
Here is good news as the state government has issued an order deploying an independent DP unit led by the deputy director (town planning) Mohammed Raza Khan to draft the integrated development plan of the Aurangabad.
The development of the city was halted due to the absence of a development plan for the past many years. However, to give the city's development a push, the state government, on Monday, deployed the DP unit comprising 18 experts planners and others. Earlier, the unit was sent to Bhiwandi-Nizampur Municipal Corporation from Nanded by the state government. This order now stands as cancelled.
The AMC prepared the draft development plan of the expanded city (outside AMC jurisdiction) in 2016. This led to controversy and the matter is presently sub judice in the Supreme Court. The housing projects in the expanded jurisdiction had got stalled. Later on, the state-directed the AMC (in February 2020) to draft an integrated development plan (including re-drafting of the plan for the expanded city and a new plan for the old city's jurisdiction). For the past one and a half year's, the state government has not deployed an independent unit for preparing the plan. Now, the unit has been allocated for AMC to complete the task.
City development sealed
The absence of the DP plan encouraged illegal constructions on the grand level in green zones, situated on the outskirts of the city, in the last six years. These localities are illegal, unplanned, deprive of roads and reservations. If the layout would have got sanctioned in these areas, then the AMC would have at least garner revenue of Rs 100 to 125 crore per year. The AMC is now in a complex situation as on one hand, it is not getting any penny in the form of taxes from these areas and on another hand, it is burdened by providing basic amenities in these localities.
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Order of development
- AMC prepares the DP plan in 2001; later on, approves it.
- State Government hands over the development plan of fringe areas (18 villages) to AMC in 2015.
- AMC ruling party office-bearers make changes as per convenience in the old and revised DP plan. This proves controversial.
- Petition filed in Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court challenging the changes made by the General Body (GB), as it does not have the authority to do so.
- High Court orders to cancel the DP plan considering the objections.
- AMC appeals to the Supreme Court, but later on, withdrew its name from the list of petitioners.
- Later on, the then-mayor Tryambak Tupe requested the Apex Court to continue the hearing on the case in the capacity of mayor as a petitioner.
- The preceding mayors Bapu Ghadamode and Nandkumar Ghodele seconded Tupe's request through an affidavit.