Aurangabad, Aug 20:
The Zilla Parishad (ZP) has properties worth crores of rupees spread across the district including the city. But several acres of land in the city have been swallowed up by the land mafias by forging documents or have been heavily encroached. A unilateral decision to set up a property protection committee to find and protect such assets was taken at the meeting of the standing committee on Friday.
Vice president L G Gaikwad will be the chairman and Ramesh Gaikwad will be the vice-chairman and will also include all the members of the standing committee and officials of the ZP works department. A separate public interest litigation will be filed in the court soon after listing all the encroached and confiscated properties of the ZP. Finance and works department chairman Kishor Balande also clarified that a personal court battle will be waged to recover and protect the properties seized by the land mafias. Members Avinash Galande, Madhukar Walture and Kishore Pawar said that the 42 acre land on Paithan road adjacent to the agricultural university land has been encroached. The meeting demanded that efforts be made to save this piece of land. The members also held the officials responsible for disappearance of files and documents and also alleged that the officials turn a blind eye towards encroachments. Initially, the meeting was adjourned for ten minutes due to lack of quorum. The meeting resumed in the afternoon. Issues related to the cost of the medicines was also discussed in the meeting. Additional chief executive officer Santosh Kavade, deputy CEO Shirish Bansode and others were present.