Implementation of revised DP unlikely before civic polls

Ideally, the appointment of the committee should have been done before August 1.

The delay in appointing the planning committee will further delay the release of Mumbai’s blueprint for the next twenty years. The planning committee, which will go through suggestions and objections to the revised draft Development Plan (DP-2034), is also expected to hear the recommendations of citizens for two months.

On Thursday, the general body meeting passed the proposal to appoint planning members from the standing committee, but mayor Snehal Ambekar is yet to declare their names. (HT File Photo)

The delay also means the revised draft DP will not be implemented till the civic elections — to be held in February 2017 — are over. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and the state are yet to appoint the members of this committee.

The seven -member committee will have three members from the standing committee and four experts from urban planning and environment departments. Ideally, the appointment of the committee should have been done before August 1, after which, the hearing of citizens was supposed to begin. The deadline for receiving suggestions and objections ended on Friday.

“After the planning committee is formed, citizens will get two months to be heard. Once the process is completed, the changes accepted by committee will be incorporated in the draft DP,” said a senior civic official.

“It will take at least a week’s time to appoint the committee. This will delay in final sanction of DP-2034,” he added.

After the process of hearing is over, the DP will be sent to general body where corporators will get two months to deliberate. The DP will then be sent to the state government’s urban development department for final changes and sanctioning.

“Since the revised draft DP has many controversial issues, such as the opening of no-development zones for development, none of the political parties wanted to release it before the election. It’s a deliberate ploy to delay the process and clear it after the election,” said another officer.

On Thursday, the general body meeting passed the proposal to appoint planning members from the standing committee, but mayor Snehal Ambekar is yet to declare their names.

A corporator from Samajwadi Party, Rais Shaikh said the ruling parties are intentionally delaying the process to avoid people’s ire over the revised draft DP. “The DP has many lacunae, because of which ,activists and citizens are demanding changes. Considering the negative impact, parties are trying to postpone the issue until after the elections are over.”

Deputy chief engineer (DP), Vivek More could not be reached for comment.