Mira-Bhayandar Development Plan Faces Uncertainty Amid Allegations Of Anomalies & Bias, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik Raises Concerns In Assembly

Mira-Bhayandar: After a delay of more than six years, the much-needed development plan of the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) which was finally in publication-mode is once again staring at uncertain future after being hit by allegations over glaring anomalies and bias by the planning authority to benefit the powerful builder lobby of the twin-city.

Shiv Sena legislator Pratap Sarnaik raised the issue by moving a calling attention motion in the ongoing winter session of the state assembly in Nagpur on Wednesday.

MLA Pratap Sarnaik drops bombshell in assembly

Sarnaik dropped a bombshell by stating that not only important amenities like education hub, crematoriums, and revised metro carshed been ignored while preparing the new development plan, some of the reservations on land parcels were changed to residential on which ground breaking ceremony had been done by the chief minister for the construction of facilities like hospitals on the virtue of funds allocated by the government indicating a plot by the planning authority to benefit certain individuals and builders.

“Apart from dropping and imposing new reservations in an unmindful way, the planning authorities also ignored suggestions and inputs provided by the civic administration taking into mind the future needs of the twin-city till 2037.” charged Sarnaik. Responding to the allegations, minister Uday Samant ordered a probe into the matter while assuring needed rectifications and publishing the DP at the earliest. Approved in May 1997, the development plan’s existence came to an end after 20 years.

The 20-year fresh vision document

A new 20-year fresh vision document was mandated to be prepared and ratified before 2017. Owing to inordinate delays, the government had stripped the MBMC's power by handing over the responsibility of preparing the new vision document to the assistant director of town planning, Thane. However, the delay continued and the notification inviting objections and suggestions was finally notified in October, 2022.

More than 4,200 objections and suggestions were received in response to the notification till the last date of submission on November 27. The hearings were conducted in two phases- February 8 to 9 and February 13 to 17, 2023 by a panel of experts including - a retired joint director, a retired assistant director of town planning, an environment planner and the ADTP. With the fresh allegations the DP is likely to be further delayed.