29 villages excluded from Vasai-Virar Civic Body

The 100km march from Vasai to Vidhan Bhavan by residents of 29 villages to protest against their inclusion in the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation finally bore fruit.

The 100km march from Vasai to Vidhan Bhavan by residents of 29 villages to protest against their inclusion in the Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation finally bore fruit.

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The state government on Thursday agreed to exclude 29 of the 35 villages from the municipal corporation. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan announced the decision in the legislative assembly. He said the excluded villages were far off from the city limits and were important from agriculture and environment points of view.

However, the state said two villages, Kopri and Bhatwada, would be a part of the municipal corporation.

Local legislator Kshitij Thakur called it a victory of the people. “The move would have created havoc, but the people’s movement saved us,” said Thakur.

The whole agitation was planned and led by social activist and legislator Vivek Pandit.

Pandit had led a four-day march from to Vidhan Bhavan demanding that the government exclude the villages from the corporation limits.

The state contended that the shift from the panchayat to the municipal corporation would curb illegal constructions and result in better facilities. Residents said the corporation would result in rapid urbanisation, which would disrupt their livelihood.