Thane: MBMC’s Crucial Plan Faces Uncertainty Amidst Allegations and Delay
Mira Bhayandar, 14th December 2023: After a delay of over six years, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation’s (MBMC) crucial development plan, now in the publication phase, faces uncertainty again. Allegations of anomalies and bias benefiting the powerful builder lobby have surfaced, with Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik raising the issue in the state assembly’s ongoing winter session in Nagpur.
Sarnaik revealed that crucial amenities like an education hub, crematoriums, and the revised metro car shed were neglected in the new development plan. Additionally, certain land reservations, initially designated for facilities like hospitals, were changed to residential without proper consideration. Sarnaik accused the planning authority of favoring specific individuals and builders, disregarding suggestions from the civic administration for the twin-city’s future needs until 2037.
In response to the allegations, Minister Uday Samant ordered an investigation, promising necessary rectifications and a prompt publication of the development plan. Approved in May 1997, the plan’s 20-year term concluded, mandating the creation and approval of a new 20-year vision document before 2017. Due to persistent delays, the government assigned the responsibility to the assistant director of town planning, Thane. However, ongoing delays persisted, and the notification inviting objections and suggestions was only issued in October 2022.
Despite receiving over 4,200 objections and suggestions by the submission deadline on November 27, the fresh allegations are likely to further delay the development plan. The hearings, conducted in two phases in February 2023, involved a panel of experts to address concerns, but the plan’s fate remains uncertain.
