NMMC refuses to allow media during hearing on Navi Mumbai Development Plan

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has cleared that media persons will not be allowed during the hearing on objections and suggestions received for the Draft Development Plan (2018-2038) of the city.

The hearing was started on March 14 and a total of 30 slots have been fixed to complete the hearing.

Former leader of the opposition at NMMC, Dashrath Bhagat had raised the issue with the civic administration and demanded to allow media persons to attend the hearing or provide a live feed on social media. However, the civic administration refused the demand citing its statutory nature and that it has to be conducted in a prescribed manner.

Necessary to carry out the process within the prescribed time limit

A statement issued by civic administration stated that proceedings regarding the development plan are of statutory nature and it is necessary to carry out the said process within the prescribed time limit. Therefore, in such a situation, it will not be possible to postpone the said hearing and have a live telecast of the hearing on Youtube and Facebook to the journalists.

The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) received a total of 15,261 objections and suggestions in 80 days including 20 days extension after publishing the draft development plan.

The hearing of all 15,261 objections and suggestions will be completed in six days from March 14 to March 28 and March 29 has been reserved for an emergency.

Every ward has given time as per the number of objections and suggestions. Airoli, Belapur, Vashi and Turbhe wards will get two slots each for the hearing.

Similarly, Koparkhairane and Sanpada will get three slots and Ghansoli will get four slots and finally, Nerul will get five slots for hearing.

Hearing will be held at Knowledge Centre of NMMC headquarters

The hearing will be held at the Knowledge Centre of NMMC headquarters from 9 am and 6 pm with an hour break between 1 pm and 2 pm.

On the last day, March 28, hearings on objections and suggestions of CIDCO will be heard. CIDCO submitted a total of 625 objections and suggestions regarding the reservations put up by NMMC in the DP 2018-38. It raised its objections on 385 plots that NMMC reserved for various public amenities. But there are no objections to 240 plots, reserved in the DP.

Since Navi Mumbai is a planned city, there is very little scope for further development and even in DP, the civic body admitted that the city is developed upto 95% with only 5% vacant land available for future development.

The first DP was prepared by CIDCO and sanctioned by the government in 1979. Even after its formation, NMMC has been following the development control regulations (DCR) formed by CIDCO and there has been a demand for fresh DP to look into micro issues. CIDCO’s 1979 DP was a structural development plan.

Initially, there were a low number of objections and suggestions and political parties, as well as social activists, alleged that the civic body did not carry out adequate awareness regarding the development plan of the city for the next 20 years.

Later, political parties and social organisations conducted their own campaigns.