Latest news with #AshokDutta
Hindustan Times
22-06-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Maharashtra plans to open up plots reserved for abattoirs
MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government has decided to open up plots reserved for slaughter houses in all municipal corporations of the state and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), except in Mumbai. It has offered private owners the option to use the land for a purpose of their choice if they build a slaughter house on part of the land. The owner will get to use the permissible floor space index (FSI) and transferable development rights (TDR) on the plot. Slaughter houses to be developed shall be used only for small animals (Ashok Dutta/Hindustan Times) These changes have been proposed by the state urban development department in the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR). The department has issued a notice seeking suggestions and objections from the public in the next 30 days. If the plan goes through, it would impact all major cities including those in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). According to the proposed new provision, the planning authority or the appropriate authority may acquire and develop the reserved site for the same purpose, or it may allow the owner to develop the reservation, subject to certain conditions. 'It (the owner) has to develop a slaughter house on 60% of the plot along with the necessary amenities and hand it over to the municipal corporation or the planning authority,' said a senior official from the state urban development department. 'Slaughter houses to be developed shall be used only for small animals. Considering public health and safety, and also existing use of the surrounding area, the planning authority shall take a decision regarding the development of the slaughter house through accommodation reservation,' states the notice issued by the urban development department on June 6. 'Sufficient segregating distance shall be kept between the slaughter house and the residential or commercial use, and a no-objection certificate (NoC) from the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board MPCB) shall be obtained before allowing the development,' it adds. According to the notice, owners will be entitled to develop the remaining portion of the plot for the uses permissible in adjoining zones with full permissible FSI of the entire plot and permissible TDR potential of the entire plot. 'The authority, if required, shall allow the TDR for the unutilised FSI, if any (after deducting in-situ FSI), to be utilised as per TDR regulations,' it further stated. Aseem Gupta, additional chief secretary, urban development department, said the principle of 'accommodation reservation' is being made applicable to this provision. 'It allows development of a reserved plot without the need for acquisition, while the municipal corporation concerned gets a developed amenity free of cost. It also helps in expeditious development. The principle of accommodation reservation has already been applicable to many other reservations,' Gupta told HT. He added that the new provision would be implemented where the UDCPR is applicable in the state. The UDCPR was established to standardise construction rules and development regulations for various planning authorities and regional plan areas across the state. It, however, is not applicable in some areas such as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA), Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA), among others.
Time of India
06-06-2025
- Time of India
New temple impact: Digha Rath train WL crosses 100
Kolkata: While Rath Yatra, scheduled on June 27, is still three weeks away, bus and train bookings to Digha, where the occasion will be celebrated for the first time at the Jagannatham Dham complex, are almost full. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The popular Tamralipta Express has a waitlist of over 100. The waitlist begins as early as June 24, with the non-AC bogies seeing a waitlist of 91 and the AC chair car at 20. On June 27, the waitlist stands at 117 and 67, respectively. The chair car tickets for Kandari Express, which leaves Howrah in the afternoon and reaches Digha in the evening, are waitlisted at 15 and 19 on June 26 and 27. Railway officials advise passengers to keep checking for tickets as cancellations might open up seats. "We're monitoring the situation closely and will take necessary steps to accommodate the rush," said a senior Railways official. "I've been trying to book tickets on Tamralipta Express for three days now. Everything seems full," said Shankha Banerjee, a Bhowanipore resident who plans to attend the Rath Yatra at the new temple with his family. "We might have to drive down now, though we are worried about parking and traffic arrangements." For many, this is a unique opportunity. "Witnessing the first Rath Yatra at Digha's new temple complex is special. That's why we booked tickets a month in advance," said Ashok Dutta, a retired government employee from Jadavpur. The pre-bookings have started even on buses to Digha, a rare development given such rush is witnessed only on the Kolkata-Siliguri route but rarely for Digha. There are eight operators, including government ones run by NBSTC and WBTC, and there are queries on apps and even the Esplanade and Howrah terminuses. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Though actual bookings are not as high as trains, queries for reaching Digha on the morning of Rath Yatra and leaving in the evening are coming. We are telling them that we will firm up the plans once the traffic measures are announced as chief minister Mamata Banerjee will be present in Digha on that day," said a private operator that runs four daily services to Digha, including a night service. The state transport department is planning to deploy additional buses. "We are looking at running extra buses from Kolkata to Digha on June 26 and 27 based on the demand," said a WBTC official. "We've never seen such advance bookings for Digha," said Santosh Dutta, who operates bus services. "Usually, people book 2-3 days in advance. But this time, we're getting calls weeks ahead."
