Separate civic body demand of 27 village will be taken to CM: Shinde

The fate of 27 villages, which has demanded to be removed from Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) and form a separate civic council, is still undecided.

The fate of 27 villages, which has demanded to be removed from Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) and form a separate civic council, is still undecided.

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On Friday, the village representatives had a meeting with cabinet minister for urban development and Thane’s guardian minister Eknath Shinde but no decision has been taken. Shinde has assured them that their demand would be forwarded to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

Shinde said that though a majority of the villagers want a separate municipal council, some want to remain with KDMC.

Shinde said, “Our priority will be to develop the 27 villages and we will take a favourable decision for them. I will discuss the issues with the chief minister and if there is a general consensus to form a separate council, we will consider that. There are also few who want to stay with KDMC. So a decision in favour of both will be taken.”

The 27 villages were added to the KDMC in June 2015, although residents had been demanding a separate civic body.

Chandrakant Patil, representative of Sarvapakshiya Hakka Saurakshan Sangharsh Samiti, said, “We have forwarded the problems of the 27 villages before the minister. Apart from a separate council, the 5 lakh villagers should get basic facilities. The KDMC is suffering financial losses so it is not possible for the corporation to provide enough funds for the development of our villages.”