Ulhasnagar Municipal Corporation’s (UMC) revised Development Plan (DP) that was passed last week has failed to get an approval from the residents and could be challenged in court again.
The revised DP has been categorised into the Sanctioned Part (SP) and the Excluded Part (EP) after the previous plan faced multiple petitions that resulted in a stay order by the Bombay High Court. The maps for the plan were issued on December 18 and are available on the UMC website.
Kumar Jagiyasi, deputy engineer, UMC, said, “The court directed us to prepare another plan and we have done that. We are sure of what we have proposed and have set up a system to resolve issues that may arise.” According to the plan, around 300 roads connecting the city’s entry points and national highways have been proposed for development. The roads will be expanded up to 150 feet in width. Of the 300 roads, sites for 137 roads were subject to petitions and have been included in the Extented Part.
Rajendra Nimbhalkar, UMC Commissioner, said, “The last time a Development Plan was approved was 40 years ago. As per the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority’s instructions, a DP is supposed to be planned and implemented every 20 years. The planning committee has planned it as per the needs of the city and as it’s growing. One can easily figure out that the DP is the need of the hour.”
Mr. Jagiyasi said, “The 137 sites that are included in the EP are encroached sites. The shops have expanded and taken over half the road, we are just clearing those sites.”
Kailash Jethani, a shopkeeper, said authorities had to understand that the shops were more than 90 years old and had been regularised by the corporation. “They cannot just come and start evicting us. We have been paying all the required taxes over the years.”
Dinesh Karia, a businessman, said that the town is in need of development, but concerns of the residents should be considered before taking the decision. Mr. Karia said, “Our town is known for its business. Plans to develop the town must help in the growth of the business too.”
Residents said that the plan does not involve demolishing big structures, but 95% small shops in the furniture market, electronics market, and bazaar would lose more than 10 to 15 feet. Mr. Manohar Lalwani, a shopkeeper, said, “Now it is obvious that showroom owners and the big businesses will not incur much loss. Only small shopowners will choke to death.”
The original DP was passed in 2015, but work was stalled when 35 petitions were filed at the Bombay High Court and a stay order was issued. The planning committee to reinitiate the process was set up after the 2017 ward elections.
Mr. Jagiyasi said, “The problem is that the city and its people lack basic civic sense. With this attitude, the city will never develop.” Sunny Motwani, a shopkeeper, said the demolition drive had begun in 2015 and it left over 350 people homeless. He said the business of over 100 shopkeepers was also affected.
Mr. Jagiyasi said work on the Sanctioned Part of the plan, which faces no protest from the people, will begin from the first week of January. He said, “For the Extended Part we have issued a notice to the public stating that in case of any problems or objections they can file an application in Konkan Bhavan in Belapur before January 7.”
