Mumbai: The ambitious project of cluster development of Thane is in jeopardy, as the opposing Congress party has claimed that the impact assessment report made by the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) itself is illegal. Further, it has said, the announcement to exclude villages and fishermen‘s colonies by the ruling Shiv Sena is a violation of the code of conduct.
The Congress, led by Thane city chief Manoj Shinde, held a press conference “to expose the cheating by the ruling party in Thane,” and has accused the TMC of violating the norms and misleading residents of buildings that were to be cluster-developed.
During the term of the UPA government in 2014, the TMC, after receiving the government notification, had prepared the ‘impact assessment plan’ in one night to lift the stay of the high court, alleged the Congress party. There were only eight cluster plans included in it. Later, after a fresh government notification in 2017, the TMC did not prepare the plan but included 44 URPs (urban renewal plan) in the old assessment plan. After that, village areas and fishermen’s colonies were included. The party has demanded a fresh assessment plan, saying civic officials, along with the ruling party, are misleading residents with old plans.
“The ruling party has announced a decision which is a violation of code of conduct. People from villages and fishermen’s colonies have been opposing the cluster since its inception and Shiv Sena does not want to lose the vote bank of these communities. This is their strategy for upcoming 2019 elections, ” said Advocate Vikrant Chavan, Congress Group leader, TMC.
The Konkan graduate constituency comprises Thane, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Sindhudurg and Palghar districts, with about 38,000 voters. Elections are on June 25.