Indian Express 22.11.2010
City town planning work to now come under AMC fold
Tanvir Siddiqui Tags : Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority, AUDA, AMC Posted: Mon Nov 22 2010, 05:28 hrs
Ahmedabad: A Policy shift that will leave Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (AUDA) without much teeth — at least in the AMC limits — is taking place in the state urban development department. According to its recent directive, the state urban development department has asked AUDA to hand over all Town Planning (TP) schemes related work within AMC limits to the civic body. It was its powers to prepare TP schemes that lent AUDA enviable clout among developers, builders and landowners who would pay development charges to AUDA under TP work. But now the focus will shift to AMC.At present, around 120 draft TP schemes are ready and awaiting approval from the government. Another 60 TP schemes are pending at various stages with AUDA. AUDA’s job so far was to prepare draft TP schemes and implement the revised schemes, besides monitoring and controlling the development activities.
A senior civic official said, “This will increase AMC’s workload to some extent, but will save much time in getting the schemes made and having them forwarded through AUDA.”
The official added that it will instantly give a picture of the status of schemes, enabling AMC to have a proper follow up. The major benefit to people and landowners will be that their lands will not be kept unused after acquisition and reservation for specific purposes.
A prominent city-based land developer said the move should arrest the growing trend of encroachment and illegal occupation and possession of reserved plots, as the schemes will be expedited. Hasan Khan Pathan, former TP committee member in AMC, said the action was right but very late.
“It was our long-pending demand. They should have done this long ago. Now that they have generated the desired income, we in the AMC are left doing all the laborious job,” he said. Pathan added that AUDA has benefited the most from charging in areas where it did not provide any basic service for years.
“The areas handed down to AMC have no basic infrastructure. AUDA prepared only the maps and charged people with the actual development fees. When all this was going on, AMC, including the office of the Commissioner and the Standing Committee were helpless,” Pathan said.
Neela Munshi, senior town planner, AUDA confirmed that such an order has been passed, but added that she was yet to see the actual details. “The order has come, but I am yet to see it in detail,” she said.
