BMC to acquire open plot at Vile Parle

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally cleared the proposal for acquiring another open plot at a prime location in Vile Parle, measuring 1,054 square metre. HT reports.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has finally cleared the proposal for acquiring another open plot at a prime location in Vile Parle, measuring 1,054 square metre.

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The plot is reserved for a recreational ground (RG).

A part of the plot, in the K/West ward of Vile Parle (West), will be used for providing housing to project-affected persons (PAPs).

The owner of the plot, Parin Corporation, has issued a purchase notice to the BMC, asking it to purchase the plot before June 20, which is when the reservation period will lapse.

After receiving a letter from Rajhans Singh opposition leader in the BMC, asking for a meeting on the issue, mayor Shraddha Jadhav called an urgent general body meeting on Monday.

“The BMC should buy the plot before its reservation deadline gets over. The city needs more open spaces,” Singh said in the meeting.

He also alleged that the Mayor wanted the purchase notice to lapse.

The proposal was unanimously cleared to acquire the Vile Parle plot at the cost of Rs 3.74 crore.

Denying the allegation, the mayor said, “Since 2005, the BMC has cleared over 50 purchase notices, but more than 90% plots have not been developed yet.”

The civic improvement committee had already cleared the proposal to buy the plot on February 20 by paying land cost as per the ready reckoner rate to the owner.

The issue of procurement of open plots at the Juhu-Vile Parle Development (JVPD) scheme and Dahisar had earlier become a contentious issue between the opposition parties and the mayor, with opposition members alleging fraud to the tune of thousands of crores in this matter.

In the month of February, the ruling Shiv Sena, under intense pressure from the opposition corporators, had to approve proposals of the procurement of three plots at Dahisar and four plots at JVPD.

According to the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) act, the plot reserved for public amenities should be acquired by the local government for development as per the reservation mentioned in development plan (DP) within 10 years of approval of city's town planning.

The owner can serve a notice to the corporation under section 126 of the MRTP and ask the civic body to purchase the plot.

If the corporation would not purchase the plot, the reservation would lapse, under section 127 of MRTP.