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Time of India
24-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Future plans: Villages set for urban makeover under MMRDA blueprint; Rs 325 crore road project underway
MMRDA has begun preparing a Development Plan (DP) for Alibaug and parts of Pen, Panvel and Khalapur — areas now integrated into the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The move aims to transform the largely rural belt into an urban extension of Mumbai, with industrial clusters, residential zones, and tourism infrastructure. A major highlight is a Rs 325-crore road improvement project across 10 villages, with 10 major stretches set for concretisation. Work worth Rs 251 crore under three packages is already tendered, with a completion timeline of 24 months. While demographic surveys and infrastructure studies are ongoing, the draft DP will be released for public suggestions and objections. Following are MMRDA's responses to a TOI questionnaire: ■ What prompted the inclusion of parts of Alibaug, Pen, Panvel, and Khalapur in MMRDA's planning area? Alibaug, Pen, Panvel and Khalapur were already partly included in MMR (Mumbai Metropolitan Region). Considering development potential of the talukas and influence of MMR, remaining parts were included on Sept 9, 2019. To channelize development, a Development Plan was essential. Therefore, Urban Development Department appointed MMRDA as Special Planning Authority in MMR's Extended Notified Area. ■ How will this benefit the residents? The Development Plan (DP) will enable organised development and encourage industrial, residential and commercial, recreational and employment generating activities in the sub-region. ■ Are development control regulations ready for the region? The Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations are applicable for the area. The DP being prepared by MMRDA is at its early stage, the draft will be ready for publication in due course. ■ Do you see Alibaug as a prospective industrial zone or tourist zone or an extended suburb of Mumbai? Alibaug taluka is now an integral part of the metropolitan region as an extended suburb of Mumbai via sea route. It is an established tourist destination. MMRDA envisages its development into an upcoming urbanised area with secondary and tertiary industries, residential and tourism belts. ■ What will be the status of agriculture in the area? Land suitable for agriculture and already under cultivation will be maintained. ■ What kind of expansion is planned in terms of water supply, garbage management, transport, and electricity for Alibaug? Outside Alibaug council limit, the rest of the taluka is rural. The Draft DP will consider these aspects. A study of infrastructure in rural areas is underway to plan for balanced development. ■ Are there numerical projections for population for the region? Demographic data collection and projections are part of the study for the ongoing Draft DP. ■ Who will clear the big projects? The DP is being prepared in consultation with the Town Planning department. Data of physical and social infrastructure, industries, demography etc. is being collected. ■ Has MMRDA engaged with local stakeholders, panchayats, and residents regarding development in the region? Draft DP once prepared, will be published for inspection and providing suggestions. Public consultation will be carried out. 10 villages in alibaug identified for road development Vave | Beloshi | Mahajne | Mahan | Phansapur | Gaychole | Katalpada | Awas Phata | Bhonang-Talavali | Chowl Timeline for completion of 325-cr road project : For work totalling 251 cr of 325 cr, construction period is 24 months (including monsoon) Poynad Growth Center to impact Alibaug? Poynad Junction Growth Center was notified in Final Regional Plan 2016-36. Significant development potential is seen in this area in Alibaug taluka. But MMRDA is not Planning Authority for this area.
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.
Hindustan Times
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Residents around Shaniwar Wada stage protest, demand lifting of ban on reconstruction within 100 m of protected monuments
Residents living around the historic Shaniwar Wada on Sunday staged a protest demanding that heritage laws prohibiting reconstruction within 100 metres of protected monuments be repealed. Members of the Shaniwar Wada Heritage Victims' Committee gathered holding placards that read: 'No begging, we want a house of our right', calling current laws unjust and outdated. The protesters demanded that restrictive laws barring reconstruction within 100 metres of protected monuments such as Shaniwar Wada be abolished. They said that families living in the area for generations are now facing displacement due to regulations under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment and Validation) Ordinance, 2010. The law, enacted by Parliament, prohibits redevelopment or new construction within 100 metres of monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), including Shaniwar Wada and Pataleshwar. Sunil Tambat, chairman of the committee, said, 'Residents whose families have been here since the time of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the Peshwas are now forced to live in crumbling structures, with no legal rights to rebuild. Most cannot afford to buy homes elsewhere. These heritage laws have left us trapped.' Sunday's protest was attended by several local residents and activists, including Mayuresh Pawar, Ganesh Nalawade, Sanjay Fengde, Kundan Tambat, Anupama Majumdar, Swapnil Thorve, and others. The committee plans to continue its agitation until the demands of its members are met. In March 2023, the committee had also written to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) seeking permission for total reconstruction of dilapidated houses and a reconsideration of ASI norms. However, there was no response which prompted the Sunday protest. The issue has grown more urgent due to the deteriorating condition of several traditional wadas—historic residential structures—in nearby areas like Kasba Peth, Budhwar Peth, Shaniwar Peth, and Nana Peth. According to a 2022-23 survey conducted by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), 57 such wadas located within 100 metres of Shaniwar Wada were declared dangerous. Of these, 26 structures fall under the C1 category (extremely unsafe and uninhabitable); while 31 fall under the C2 (moderately unsafe) category. Every monsoon, the PMC begins the process of evicting residents from these buildings to prevent accidents. PMC executive engineer Supriya Walse-Patil clarified, 'As per the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR), residents are allowed to repair structures within 100 metres of Shaniwar Wada. However, any redevelopment or new construction still requires approval from the archaeological department, which remains restricted under ASI rules.' Local MLA Hemant Rasane, representing the Kasba Peth constituency, acknowledged the limitations of current laws and the plight of residents. 'The ASI law is the same across India. Changing it requires a central government policy decision. We are following up on the matter with the Centre. In addition to this, redevelopment of wadas poses a separate set of challenges, and I am actively working with the state government to find a solution.'
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
After 13 years Palm Beach Residency gets provisional OC on court order
NAVI MUMBAI: Thirteen years after it was constructed, the upscale Amey Cooperative Housing Society Limited's (ACHSL) Palm Beach Residency in Nerul has received a provisional occupancy certificate (OC) from the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). The complex, which was mired in litigation due to construction violations of over 3 lakh sq ft, has had to bear a whopping ₹100 crore for the OC, with ₹66.67 crore paid to NMMC and around ₹34 crore to CIDCO for various permissions. The project has been mired in controversy for decades. First there were allegations of illegalities in the land allotment process by CIDCO to six 'bogus' cooperative societies of APMC mathadis that had been merged, which then sold the land to the Wadhwa group. After being cleared by the Supreme Court, when the project was finally completed in 2012, FSI violations were reported, following which NMMC refused to issue an OC. Social activist Sandeep Thakur filed a PIL in the Bombay high court in 2018 for action against those responsible for illegal occupation of the buildings. The society too filed a writ petition seeking permissions. The HC in October 2024 permitted NMMC to take a decision with regard to regularisation of the building. NMMC passed an order on December 31, 2024, agreeing to grant an OC, subject to payment of penalty, additional premium and other conditions. As an interim measure, the court on March 4 permitted the deposit of the amount to NMMC, asking it to issue the OC which, it stated, would be provisional in nature and subject to further orders. Somnath Kekan, assistant director of town planning, NMMC, said that the introduction of the new Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations, which permit additional FSI, had enabled the regularisation. Uma Ahuja, chairperson of ACHSL, said that the residents were 'keeping it low-key, as we believe that this is the time to maintain calmness and composure'. Thakur, however, said the provisional OC was subject to the court's previous rulings, which prohibit any sale or purchase of the units. 'It is also subject to the confirmation of validity of 'consent to operate' from MPCB, which is conducting an inquiry,' he said. 'The society does not have environmental clearances, and we will take up the issues concerning permissions given by MCZMA and SEIAA in the next hearing on July 8. We will plead for the cancellation of the provisional OC.'
India Gazette
15-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Turkey committed the sin of backing Pakistan": Maharashtra Dy CM Eknath Shinde
Pune (Maharashtra) [India], May 15 (ANI): Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Thursday strongly supported the boycott of Turkish and Azerbaijani goods, saying Turkey 'committed the sin' of backing Pakistan. His remarks came during a workshop organised by the Urban Development Department in Pune today, amid upcoming local body elections in the state. Speaking to the media, Shinde said, 'I welcome and appreciate the traders who have imposed a boycott on Turkey. Turkey committed the sin of supporting Pakistan, which has barbarically killed our innocent people. As a result, Turkey must be boycotted, and this exclusion is justified. To those receiving threats, I assure you that no harm will come to is no need to fear Pakistan.' Shinde praised Rajasthan traders for their decision to boycott Turkish marble and Azerbaijani apples, calling it a 'sign of patriotism.' He added that traders in Pune had taken similar action, showing solidarity against nations that support Pakistan. Shinde also lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stance on Pakistan and congratulated him for responding firmly. 'I congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his courageous response to Pakistan. They have been taught a lesson and Pakistan will learn from this,' he said. Commenting on the upcoming local body elections, Shinde said the government was working as per Supreme Court directions. 'The Supreme Court has ordered elections, and preparations are underway according to their directives. We fought and won the last Lok Sabha and Assembly elections as a Mahayuti, securing a landslide victory. Similarly, we will contest the upcoming local body elections with the same intensity and emerge victorious,' he said. He added that Mahayuti's competition had grown, but expressed full confidence in securing another win. 'Now our competition has increased even more, so the upcoming local body elections will be contested by the Mahayuti and the Mahayuti will win,' he said. The two-day urban development workshop at Yashada in Pune brought together municipal commissioners and chief officers from across Maharashtra. The discussions focused on city-specific challenges and policy decisions, especially regarding the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (DCPR). 'There should be a holistic, balanced development of cities. This will be discussed at the conference in today's workshop,' Shinde said. He emphasised that the goal was to uplift living standards and ensure that 'municipalities should be given justice.' He also addressed the cancellation of the Development Plan (DP) under the PMRD scheme, promising that future decisions would prioritize citizen rights and interests. (ANI)
