Govt to decide on Unified DCPR in NAINA soon: Uday Samant

The state government is considering implementing Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) in the NAINA region, according to Industries and Raigad guardian minister Uday Samant. The decision will be made soon, and CIDCO will hold camps in villages to address concerns and protect original houses. The NAINA project, covering 174 villages near the Navi Mumbai airport, has faced opposition from villagers who demand compensation and the implementation of UDCPR. The implementation of UDCPR would provide benefits to villagers and address their grievances.

PANVEL

Govt to decide on Unified DCPR in NAINA soon: Uday Samant

The state government is positive about implementing Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) in the NAINA region and a decision on it will be taken soon, Industries and Raigad guardian minister Uday Samant has assured. He has also instructed CIDCO to hold camps in all the villages to ascertain their objections and ensure that the original houses are not disturbed.

Samant made the announcements during an all-party meeting he held at Konkan Bhavan to address the issues and concerns raised by the locals on the State government’s Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area (NAINA) project comprising of 174 villages located within 25 km radius of the Navi Mumbai airport and spread over 371 sq km.

The meeting was attended by Panvel MLA Prashant Thakur, Uran MLA Mahesh Baldi, PWP leader MLC Jayant Patil, former MLC Balaram Patil, PWP leader J M Mhatre, Shiv Sena leader Baban Patil among others along with the government officials.

The NAINA scheme proposes land pooling by villagers wherein CIDCO, the Special Planning Authority for the project, gets to keep 60% of the land for infrastructure development and the PAPs get the remaining 40% with 2.5 FSI.

Planned 10 years back, NAINA has faced opposition from a section of villagers over the years who have opposed land pooling sans any compensation. Farmers’ body NAINA Prakalp Badhit Shetkari Utkarsh Samiti, which includes several MVA leaders, has staged several protests demanding cancellation of NAINA scheme and inclusion of the region under the new UDCPR.

Speaking on the meeting, MLA Prashant Thakur said, “We demanded at the meeting that UDCPR be implemented at the earliest in NAINA region by the state government. The state government has already sanctioned interim development plans (IDP) for 23 villages. The draft Development for the remaining villages has also been approved through a notification on September 16, 2022.”

He added, “We explained to the minister that once UDCPR is implemented in the region, a lot of issues and opposition will disappear.”

Informed Thakur, “We also asked the minister to ensure that in villages where the NAINA Town Planning Scheme (TPS) is being implemented, CIDCO hold village wise grievance redressal camps. It will provide an opportunity to the villagers to express their view point and the problems that they are facing. It will bring to the fore the ground issues which can then be accorded priority resolution for the success of NAINA.”

Thakur said Samant has assured that the government is positive on the demand for the implementation of UDCPR in NAINA and a decision will be taken soon. “He also instructed CIDCO to act on the demand of holding camps in the villages to address the issues of the NAINA villagers,” he said.

Commenting on the meeting former MLC Balaram Patil who has been in the forefront of the opposition to NAINA said, “We have long been demanding that the holistic UDCPR implementation in the State be extended to NAINA region also. We also demanded that the development planned in the nodal areas should also happen in village areas. We also discussed the issue of protection of houses that exist in the villages.”

Informed Patil, “On the UDCPR demand, the minister spoke to urban development principal secretary Aseem Gupta, NAINA planning officials and also CIDCO vice chairman and managing director Anil Diggikar. He then gave a commitment that Aseem Gupta will take the proposal to the CM in a week and the decision in this regard will be made.”

Explaining why UDCPR is being demanded, Patil said, “Under NAINA a villager gets only 40% of the land with 2.5 FSI which practically amounts to 1 FSI if the total land is considered. The construction will also have to be vertical which increases the construction cost.”

He added, “Once UDCPR is implemented, the villagers will automatically get 60% land. They will also get a number of incentives which the UDCPR provides. The UDCPR calculation is on total land and hence the effective FSI will be over 2.5 FSI. The height of the buildings can be reduced thereby reducing the cost. UDCPR will lead to a number of benefits for the villagers.”

Stating that NAINA is crucial for the region, Prashant Thakur said, “NAINA is a project that will completely transform the region into a well-planned modern city with a host of opportunities for the villagers and also put an end to illegal construction in the area.”

He concluded, “We will ensure that no injustice is done to the villagers and not one house in the villages will have to go.”

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Demand to name Bhumiputra Bhavan in Ulwe after D B Patil

Both Panvel and Uran MLAs Prashant Thakur and Mahesh Baldi respectively have demanded that the newly constructed Bhumiputra Bhavan in Ulwe be named after the much revered PAP leader late D B Patil. The PAPs have demanded Patil’s name for the under-construction Navi Mumbai International Airport as well.

Samant assured the MLAs that the demand will be presented before chief minister Eknath Shinde.

Said Thakur, “D B Patil dedicated his life for the welfare of the PAPs. It is because of him that the sons of the soil are living with dignity. As a mark of respect to him, the newly constructed Bhumiputra Bhavan should be christened as `Loknete Swargiya D B Patil Bhumiputra Bhavan’. It will be a matter of pride for the building as well as the PAPs.”