Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
The state’s Urban Development Department (UDD), on Wednesday, published the official notification of the city’s Development Plan. The plan was approved two weeks ago and will soon be received by the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC), after which its implementation will begin.
This is the first time in 33 years that a plan has been approved. Last year, around 8,500 citizens raised objections and suggestions over the rough draft of the plan. Hearings were conducted based on these objections. After incorporating the approved modifications suggested by the expert committee, the revised plan was submitted to the government for final approval. In March, Deputy Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde approved it. Following this, on April 15, the UDD issued an official notification, confirming the Deputy CM’s announcement.
407 changes made by the government
According to UDD sources, a total of 407 changes were made to the plan during its revision. Of these, 85 were the changes suggested by the committee, which were accepted by the government. Besides, 450 reservations (designations of land use) were altered. For the reservations that have been removed, the government will invite public suggestions and objections over 60 days. A new notification will be issued after considering the received feedback and conducting hearings. Based on the approved plan’s notification, the CSMC will be able to proceed with development work.
Plan to be Received Soon
The approved plan will soon be handed over to the municipal corporation. Many major projects had been delayed due to the lack of an approved DP. In the new plan, residential areas that were earlier designated as Green Zones have now been marked as Yellow Zones, which means residents can now regularise their properties under the "Gunthewari" scheme. Citizens are now curious to know exactly what changes have been made in the approved plan.