NIT asserts compliance with HC directives in Gunthewari layout plot regularisation
: The
Nagpur Improvement Trust
(NIT) on Monday defended its decision to issue regularisation letters to private plot owners in a disputed
Gunthewari layout
. The civic planning body informed the Nagpur bench of the
Bombay High Court
that it had followed legal provisions and previous court orders, contrary to the claims made by the Chinchmalatpure Nagar Nagrik Kruti Samiti.
NIT clarified that the open space requirements under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act were not applicable in this case, as the layout was regularised under the Gunthewari Act, 2001. The petitioner has challenged the regularisation of five plots in Raghvendra Griha Nirman Sahakari Sanstha, Mouza Manewada, where construction activities had already begun.
In its affidavit, NIT stated that it had previously submitted a factual clarification on September 27, 2023. It also pointed out that the petitioner was fully aware of earlier orders passed in Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No. 80/2017, in which the court upheld the individual rights of private plot holders.
Following a government notification dated March 1, 2021, NIT's general manager approved the regularisation of the five plots on December 13, 2022, under the amended Gunthewari Act, the NIT submitted.
The petitioner highlighted that the high court had overturned previous rejections issued by NIT's executive engineer (South) in five separate writ petitions. Even though the NIT later filed review applications citing PIL No. 80/2017, the court dismissed them on April 21, 2023.
NIT further noted that members of the Samiti had benefited from the Gunthewari Act in the past but were now opposing the regularisation of other plots. It reiterated that Regulation 3.4.1 of the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR)-2020 regarding open space requirements does not apply to Gunthewari layouts.
Referring to the January 22, 2024, order by the former NIT chairman rejecting regularisation, the trust argued that the order contradicted directions issued by the court. It added that regularisation letters were issued only after the Division Bench's directions on December 19, 2023, in related contempt petitions.
NIT has sought dismissal of the petition, asserting that previous court rulings had already resolved the factual and legal issues involved in the matter.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
KMM Trust received foreign contribution to the tune of ₹220 crore, says ED
A search conducted by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED), Kochi Zonal Office, revealed that Kunhahmed Musliyar Memorial (KMM) Trust, a charitable organisation, and its chairperson Ibrahim Ahmad Ali, an NRI, had reportedly received a foreign contribution to the tune of ₹220 crore during the period 2021 till date from the latter, which was reflected in the books of accounts as unsecured loans. The search operations were conducted on July 31 under the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999 at two locations in Kasaragod in connection with suspected violations of the Act and receipt of foreign contributions by the trust and its chairperson. Though it was reflected in the books of accounts as unsecured loans, no loan agreement, interest rate terms, or repayment schedule was available, and no repayment had been made till date. Mr. Ali received the funds from Universal Lubricants LLC, a company incorporated in UAE. In the absence of supporting documentation and in view of clarification given under Section 2(1)(h) of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), 2010, the said 'loan' prima facie qualifies as foreign contribution under FCRA. Not registered The trust is not registered under the FCRA and does not possess the mandatory permission or a designated FCRA bank account to receive foreign contributions. Further, a part of these foreign contributions were found to have been utilised for the purchase of agricultural land in India, in violation of existing regulations. It was also revealed during the search that the trust had received ₹2.49 crore in cash from the NRI, violating provisions of FEMA, 1999. During the search, incriminating documents, ledger accounts showing unsecured loans of ₹220 crore, the cash book of the trust, and a hard disk containing financial data were seized. The investigation conducted so far indicates contravention of the provisions of FEMA, 1999. Further investigation is under progress, said the ED in a statement.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
CCI orders another investigation into Google over AdTech dominance charges
Fair trade regulator CCI has ordered a detailed investigation into Google's conduct in the online display advertising market on a complaint filed by the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF). In an order passed by CCI on Friday, the regulator said it has decided to club the complaint with ongoing investigations in similar cases and directed the Director General (DG) to carry out a consolidated probe into Google's conduct in the AdTech ecosystem. "The DG is directed to investigate the various alleged practices of Google in Online Display Advertising services and/ or AdTech intermediation services and submit a consolidated investigation report in the matters, accordingly," it added. The order comes in response to a detailed complaint filed by ADIF alleging that Google has engaged in anti-competitive practices across various layers of its advertising technology stack. In its complaint, ADIF alleged that Google, through its multiple group entities, has engaged in anti-competitive conduct by self-preferencing its own services in the AdTech ecosystem, including tying and bundling of its publisher ad server (DFP) with its ad exchange (AdX), and linking access to YouTube ad inventory with the use of its demand-side platform (DV360). ADIF, which represents startups, companies and individuals, also alleged that such practices not only harmed publishers and advertisers but also foreclosed the market for competing AdTech service providers. The CCI said that the participation of ADIF, which represents key stakeholders in the start-up and digital ecosystem, could bring additional insights to the probe and there was no legal barrier to clubbing the matter with the ongoing investigation. The Commission said it was prima facie satisfied that Google's conduct warranted scrutiny under Section 4 of the Competition Act, which deals with abuse of dominant position. It directed that the matter be clubbed with four existing cases and a consolidated report be submitted after investigation. "Allegations made by ADIF in the present matter already form part of the allegations being investigated in the Publishers Case (supra), in terms of the proviso to Section 26(1) of the Act, the commission decides to club the present matter," the CCI said. However, in its response, Google denied the allegations and said it operates in a competitive AdTech market in India, with players like Xandr, Amazon Ads and the Trade Desk. It maintained that its products are interoperable and not tied. However, the CCI said these aspects will be examined during the course of the investigation. In a separate order, the CCI dismissed a complaint filed by ADIF against Google, concluding that the allegations raised were already examined and settled in previous cases. The CCI said it is not convinced by the reasons stated by ADIF for distinguishing its allegations from the issues examined in previous orders passed by the regulator. "The issues examined in the previous order may be 'the same' or 'substantially the same'. "Therefore, the present matter is directed to be closed forthwith in terms of the provisions of section 26(2A) of the Act," the regulator added. ADIF had cited four main concerns, including prohibition on third-party technical support advertisements, restrictions on 'Call Ads' on desktops, lack of transparency in ad rankings, and allowing competitors to bid on trademarked keywords. "All the four instances of alleged unfair and discriminatory conditions imposed by Google upon advertisers as part of its Google Ads Policies as raised by ADIF in the present matter, have already been examined in substance and set to rest by the commission in its previous decisions," the competition watchdog said. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
9 hours ago
- First Post
'Free speech will suffer': Musk's X locks horns with UK over online safety laws
While X has taken steps to comply, such as introducing age verification systems, it expressed concerns about the law's broader implications. read more A 3D-printed miniature model of Elon Musk and the X logo are seen in this illustration taken January 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration The social media platform X, owned by US billionaire Elon Musk, has publicly criticised the UK's newly implemented Online Safety Act, warning that its broad regulations could pose a risk to free speech. The company issued a stark statement: 'Free speech will suffer. The Act's laudable intentions are at risk of being overshadowed by the breadth of its regulatory reach. Without a more balanced, collaborative approach, free speech will suffer.' New provisions of Online Safety Act The criticism follows the rollout of new provisions under the Online Safety Act, which took effect recently. A key requirement mandates that websites, including social media and adult content platforms, verify the age of users to shield children from explicit or violent material. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While X has taken steps to comply, such as introducing age verification systems, it expressed concerns about the law's broader implications. The platform cautioned that the threat of hefty financial penalties could push companies to over-censor content, stating, 'Many are now concerned that a plan ostensibly intended to keep children safe is at risk of seriously infringing on the public's right to free expression.' UK govt stands strong by legislation The UK government has stood by the legislation, stressing that non-compliant companies could face fines of up to £18 million or 10 per cent of their global turnover—a penalty that could reach £200 million for X. The UK's media regulator, Ofcom, has already launched investigations into dozens of websites failing to implement required safeguards and has reached out to US-based companies, including X, to remind them of their legal obligations. X also took issue with provisions allowing police to monitor social media for content deemed anti-immigrant, arguing that this 'oversteps the intended mission' of protecting children. The platform's concerns align with remarks from Elon Musk, who previously labelled the Online Safety Act as a 'suppression of the people.' Musk has also thrown his support behind a public petition calling for the law's repeal, which has garnered over 450,000 signatures. In response, Ofcom defended the regulations, clarifying that they do not mandate restricting legal content for adults. A spokesperson stated, 'They must carefully consider how they protect users' rights to freedom of expression while keeping people safe.'
