SC accepts intervention petition by Kalyan-Dombivli citizens on 18 villages

On March 14, 2020, the state government, in a notification, had decided to remove the 18 villages out of the 27 villages from KDMC and form a separate civic body, while the remaining 9 villages shall remain in KDMC

The Supreme Court (SC) accepted an intervention petition filed by the alert citizens of Kalyan-Dombivli in which they demanded the Maharashtra state government should pay all the expenses incurred by the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) for the developmental works of 18 villages and then remove the villages from the civic body.

Maharashtra government appealed to the Supreme Court against the high court’s decision and filed a caveat in the apex court seeking exclusion of the 18 villages from KDMC. (HT PHOTO)

On March 14, 2020, the state government, in a notification, had decided to remove the 18 villages out of the 27 villages from KDMC and form a separate civic body, while the remaining 9 villages shall remain in KDMC.

On December 12, 2020, the Bombay High Court dismissed the Maharashtra state government’s decision to remove 18 villages from KDMC while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by KDMC’s former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator Moreshwar Bhoir and Kalyan-based architect Sandip Patil, writ petition by builder Santosh Dawkhar and civil application by former BJP corporator Sunita Khandagale.

Further, the state government appealed to the SC against the HC’s decision and filed a caveat in the apex court seeking exclusion of the 18 villages from KDMC.

Ulhas Jamdar, one of the petitioners, said, “We are glad that the apex court has considered our intervention and said it will hear our concerns. After the inclusion of these 27 villages in the KDMC, ₹700Cr of the boundary extension grant from the government has not yet been received. So far, KDMC has spent a huge amount of money on development works in these 18 villages. In the last five years, 18 villages have had arrears of property tax and water bills of over ₹300Cr.

“As the entire burden falls on the taxpayers of Kalyan-Dombivli, we also want to exclude these 18 villages from KDMC, however we all demanded that the state government should pay the expenses incurred by KDMC in 18 villages so far through this intervention petition,” he added.