The district collector on Thursday began a survey to ascertain land occupancy mainly of survey number 504, which the Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India said is with the Empress Garden. Recently, the government and the civic body wanted to start construction of affordable houses on no-development zones and bungalows for officials in the Empress Garden.
Speaking about the issue, secretary of Agri-Horticultural Society of Western India, which manages the Empress Garden, Suresh Pingle, said, "The district collector had earlier stated that the said construction would come up at survey number 504 which is not under the Empress Garden and not at survey 500 which is under the Empress Garden. However, both survey number 500 and 504 are with the Empress Garden. To ascertain the same, the district collector had planned to conduct a survey of the Empress Garden which began on Thursday."
Pingle said that the survey of Empress Garden is expected to last for around three days.
Activists from the city had earlier said that last year the state housing department had issued a notification allowing housing projects in no-development/green zones across the entire state.
Pingle had said that the government is planning to encroach on the Empress Garden and construct quarters for class one officers, judges and PWD officers. The garden is owned by the state government but managed by an NGO. He had emphasised that it is a garden which belongs to citizens and residents should come forward to save the garden.
{{/usCountry}}Pingle had said that the government is planning to encroach on the Empress Garden and construct quarters for class one officers, judges and PWD officers. The garden is owned by the state government but managed by an NGO. He had emphasised that it is a garden which belongs to citizens and residents should come forward to save the garden.
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