Budget 2020: BMC to acquire encroached plots reserved for amenities by granting TDR to landowners

Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi presents the civic budget for 2020-21 to Standing Committee chairman Yashwant Jadhav Tuesday. Ganesh Shirsekar

In a move that undermines BMC’s own vision of increasing the open spaces in the city, the civic body, in its budget Tuesday, proposed not to acquire plots reserved for amenities if these have been encroached upon or are encumbered.

Citing a dip in revenue and terming the acquisition of encroached land an “unnecessary expenditure”, the BMC has come up with a new policy under which plots that have been encroached upon will be either acquired only by giving transfer of development (TDR) rights to the owners of the land or allowing Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) schemes on them.

The BMC’s 20-year Development Plan-2034 (DP-2034) had envisaged more open spaces in the city. According to the DP, if all reserved plots of opens spaces like playgrounds, gardens and recreational grounds were to be acquired, the per capita open space ratio would increase three times. Officials said while ratio of public open space is 1.28 sq mt per capita, if the target set in DP-2034 were to be met, it could go up to 3.37 sq mt per capita.

But in the 2020-21 budget, BMC appears to have washed its hands off this vision. The civic body has stated that the proposal of land acquisition under the DP is divided into two categories — obligatory duties and discretionary duties. As part of obligatory duties, reserved land will be acquired for roads, bridges, drains and hospitals. Under discretionary duties, reserved land will be acquired for gardens, public parks and recreational grounds.

Giving an example of how 76 cases of acquisition of land reserved for discretionary duties will cost the civic body Rs 8,303.79 crore, with associated rehabilitation projects costing Rs 6,751.40 crore, Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi said it has now been decided that TDR will be given to the landowners.

“When there is reservation on any land that is fully encroached with slums and if there is plan of development under SRA scheme as per the provision of development control regulations, the civic body will anyway get 25 per cent of the land for designated reservation. It is not advisable to pay huge compensation for the land, as only private landowners will profit,” he added.

In the 2019-2020 budget, BMC had made a provision of Rs 1,501 crore as capital expenditure to develop amenities as per DP-2034. For 2020-21, the amount is only Rs 785 crore.

Meanwhile, the civic body has said that a separate budget section, called “acquisition of fully encumbered/encroached land reserved under discretionary duties with no open space”, has been formed for acquiring reserved plots if the administration feels that it is beneficial to BMC.

BMC Budget 2020: At a glance

* Municpal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi lists seven indicators for ‘Mumbai Vision 2030’. They include world class roads, environmentally sustainable and climate resilient city and a robust public transport. Pardeshi calls the budget the first step in the making of a happier city.

* Rs 2000 crore proposed for the coastal road project, an increase of 25 per cent from last time. BMC proposed Rs 300 crore
for Goregaon-Mulund Link road — a three-fold increase from last time.

* Rs 5 crore proposed for use of Trigeneration technology in BMC hospitals, which will lead to saving power and providing hot and cold water for potable use

* Rs 2.69 crore proposed to transfer Vihar overflow water to Bhandup water treatment plant or Airoli creek.

* Proposal to create a dedicated and separate department for tourism.

* Proposal to commence eco-tourism activites around water supply reservoirs such as Tansa, Vaitarna and Modaksagar dams. While hospitality partners are likely to upgrade, maintain and manage BMC guesthouses, activities like cycling tour, nature trail, bird-watching and star gazing will be promoted.

* Rs 2 crore to develop wildlife conservation breeding centre for endangered species at a 120-acre plot in Aarey Milk Colony.

* No increase in taxes but fees for trade and market licenses as well as birth certificates are proposed to be hiked by
5 per cent every year.

* Proposal to design and build roads above 60 ft with separate utility duct corridor to prevent frequent trenching.

* Rs 5 crore proposed for underground tunnel and reservoirs to store/divert surplus flood water.

* To compensate for felling of 25,000 trees over last five years, trees would be planted by Miyawaki technique.

(With inputs from Sanjana Bhalerao)

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