Any registered firm can become special planning authority: govt

Any registered company can be appointed as special planning authority for a specified area, stated the Maharashtra government justifying its decision to confer special town planning authority status on Lavasa Corporation Limited for its hill city in the Western Ghats in Pune district.

Any registered company can be appointed as special planning authority for a specified area, stated the Maharashtra government justifying its decision to confer special town planning authority status on Lavasa Corporation Limited for its hill city in the Western Ghats in Pune district.

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Avinash Patil, deputy director of town planning, has filed an affidavit in Bombay high court in reply to a petition filed on June 15 by two tribal brothers, Bandya and Babu Walhekar, and as directed by the division bench of justice DD Sinha and justice Vijaya Kapse-Tahilramani.

The affidavit cites provisions of section 40 (1B) of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, 1966, stating that the state may appoint any agency or authority created by or in accordance with government order or instrument or any company or corporation established by or under any state or central law to be Special Planning Authority for any notified area.

“It is thus clear that any company established under any State/Central Act can be appointed as special planning authority,” states the affidavit and claims the petitioner’s contention as baseless.