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Planners slam govt bail-out for illegal Thane buildings…..Nitin Yeshwantrao
Say Move Will Affect Devpt In Maha Towns Thane: There is widespread anger and confusion over the DF governments announcement in the state legislature on Wednesday to protect all unauthorized structures in Thane district built prior to December 2000.
Town planners in the civic administration here said the move would complicate future planning and development work in places such as Thane,Kalyan-Dombivli,Bhiwandi,Mira-Bhayander,Vasai and Navi Mumbai,besides setting a precedent of legitimizing the acts of slumlords and unscrupulous builders.
It frustrates the UPAs ambitious urban reforms agenda initiated five years ago under JNNURM.The Centre had targeted some goals when it proposed to fund crores of rupees in infrastructure projects under the urban renewal mission.However,in the wake of such leniency to illegal buildings,the planning process goes for a toss, a senior bureaucrat at the Thane municipal corporation told TOI.
Upset by the states volte-face in this case are social activists who have been pressing for demolition of illegal constructions.The announcement made by industries minister Narayan Rane on Wednesday contradicts the affidavit filed by state chief secretary J P Dange in the high court that demolitions will continue without a hitch.The court had ordered these demolitions after a lengthy hearing.Now,all of a sudden,the state government has developed cold feet, said Thane-based activist Nitin Deshpande.
He pointed out that though housing is a fundamental right of every citizen,such protection to illegal constructions affects the quality of everyones life.
Already,unplanned development has resulted in water shortage,inadequate medical care,traffic chaos etc.The overall quality of life of the citizen takes a beating because of political support to illegal activities, Deshpande said.
The announcement,however,has come as a welcome relief to those who have been living in unauthorized buildings for close to two decades.The buildings were constructed in violation of the development control rules and by flouting all FSI norms,but were occupied by people in need of a home.The state housing boards failure to address the huge demand for affordable homes despite the availability of vast tracts of land in Thane district resulted in the mushrooming of illegal constructions.
Activist Kaustub Gokhale from Dombivli said: By legitimizing such buildings,the government is turning its back on planned development of cities and encouraging growth of vertical slums. A History Of Dubious Construction
* In the 1990s,realty agents and builders lured the native Aagri-Kolis to sell off their prime farmland for next to nothing.Closure of Mumbais mills and rising realty rates in the city saw a huge migration of chawl residents to Thane district,triggering further illegal construction.The decision to regularize illegal structures till January 1,1995,and plans for massive slum redevelopment further emboldened encroachers
* To meet the rising demand for housing in the next decade,state-owned land was systematically encroached upon by slumlords,politicians,builders and government authorities.The towns saw massive vertical growth
* In mid-2000,the governments announcement to regularize illegal structures till 2000 and blanket protection to all unauthorized buildings in Ulhasnagar resulted in unplanned and unchecked construction in the entire district.In 2007,a PIL by Hait Vasai Suraks Samiti for the removal of encroachments from public land resulted in a recent court judgment,which called for razing down of over 2 lakh structures in Thane district
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