The Times of India 26.09.2013
Nashik Municipal Corporation may take a month to inform state about scrapping draft development plan
NASHIK: Having scrapped the draft development plan (DP) of the city in the general body meeting (GBM) on Monday after members of all the parties deliberated for 11 hours and unanimously sought its cancellation, the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) will take at least a month to convey its decision to the state government.
The civic administration will write to the urban development department of the state government only after the receipt of the minutes of the GBM. Considering the preparation of minutes of the GBM under normal circumstances takes around one to two months, the preparation of minutes of the marathon GBM on the DP will take considerable time.
Speaking to TOI, municipal commissioner Sanjay Khandare said, "We will send a letter to the state government for cancellation of the DP only after we get the resolution of the GBM on the same. After that, the state government will decide on the issue."
An official from NMC said, "It may take a month to prepare minutes of Monday's GBM on the new DP of the city. The GBM started at 11.30 a.m. and continued till 10.45 p.m. with around 71 corporators deliberating on the issue. Thereafter, the resolution will be sent to the municipal commissioner, following the signature of city mayor Yatin Wagh. The civic administration will then write to the state government about the decision of the civic body."
Mayor Wagh had cancelled the draft DP at the GBM after members of all the parties unanimously sought its cancellation alleging that the plan had been chalked out in the favour of builders for converting their maximum land into yellow belt (residential). They said the DP unfair to the farmers as maximum reservations for various civic projects were made on their lands. The members alleged that there will be no environmental balance as the agriculture zone has been reduced from existing 33% to 15% in the new DP, which will affect the identity of Nashik as a "grape city".
After the expiry of the previous DP in 2010, the state government had set up a special cell to prepare the draft of the new DP and had appointed deputy director of town planning Sulekha Vaijapurkar as the unit head. Accordingly, the cell prepared the draft DP, keeping in mind, the population growth of the city up to 34 lakh by 2036 and submitted the draft DP to commissioner Khandare on August 13.
Thereafter, the first GBM to discuss the draft DP was held on August 29. But it was adjourned amid ruckus by members, who alleged leakage of the DP before being made public. Another GBM was held on September 16 but was been adjourned on the grounds of giving a week to enable the corporators to look at the copies of the DP and discuss it. The copies of the draft DP were made available to the corporators at the office of the town secretary of the municipal corporation. Thereafter, the GBM was held on September 23, in which, the mayor scrapped the draft DP, following strong demand by all-party members.
