‘Cabinet meeting over Deekshabhoomi devp deferred till Monday’

Nagpur: The Maharashtra government on Wednesday informed the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court that a meeting of its cabinet scheduled to discuss the Deekshabhoomi beautification plans and administrative approval for it in Mumbai, was deferred till Monday due to heavy rains.
A division bench comprising justices Ravi Deshpande and Vinay Joshi adjourned the PIL (No 152/2018) by lawyer Shailesh Narnaware, for two weeks after government pleader Sumant Deopujari made a statement in this regard.
The petitioner had prayed for developing the historic site on the lines of popular pilgrimage centres like Shirdi, Shegaon, Pandharpur, Trimbakeshwar and others. He pointed out that the government developed places like Koradi and Paradsingha, which have now become major tourist attraction and considered as holy places for religious practices.
Earlier, the Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) and the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) filed an affidavit explaining their stand on the beautification issue. They stated that the historic site was to be developed for tourists in two phases. The first phase is estimated to cost around Rs100 crores.
Both informed that they had already issued a communication letter to the government for grant of administrative approval to the Phase 1 which is approved and the Phase 2, which is under consideration, but they’re yet to get response.
They also added that they have sanctioned the grant of Rs100 crores to Deekshabhoomi Smarak Samiti and there are certain conditions enumerated in the GR of March 27, 2018, which need to be fulfilled by the Samiti under the NMRDA’s supervision.
Another affidavit by the Department of Social Justice and Special Assistance stated that the authorities are willing to develop and improve Deekshabhoomi and has already made the ‘Rules Regarding Sanction Grant to NGOs for Development of Important Cultural Historical Places and Monument of Excellency Persons of Scheduled Caste NavBauddha Category’ by a government resolution of December 16, 2015.
NMRDA forwarded proposal to ministry for technical sanction and administrative approval. Ministry stated that it’s not appropriate authority for sanction and approval and forwarded the proposal to PWD. The PWD raised objections and asked if it is necessary to get the plans attested from the state’s chief architect and to get approval of estimate from the superintendent engineer of NIT.
(With inputs from Sakina Dawood)