NMC returns neta’s building plan sanction application

Nagpur: The town planning department of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has sent back an application submitted by former corporator Meena Chaudhary, mother of another former corporator of Congress Kamlesh seeking building plan sanction for cement concrete residential building being constructed in catchment area of Futala Lake.
The department has pointed out that no construction is permissible within 100 metres of high flood line (HFL) of the lake and no objection certificate (NOC) of land owner, Punjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth (PDKV), has not been provided.
Chaudhary has constructed ground floor and continued works for laying slab even as NMC Dharampeth Zone had written to stop the works on August 22. The zone had given three days to submit documents including building plan sanction. The deadline ended on Wednesday. The zone has not issued notice under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act.
Clause 3.1.12 of the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) is about distance from natural lake and dam. “In regional plan area, no construction shall be allowed within 100 metre from the high flood line of natural lake,” the UDCPR says.
The NMC town planning department engineers inspected the site and calculated that the proposed building will be within 100 metres of HLF, which was cited as the reason behind sending back the application.
Another reason cited is lack of NOC from PDKV. TOI had reported that neither PDKV nor Maharashtra Animal Husbandry and Fishery Sciences University (Mafsu) had granted NOC for construction of the building.
NMC officials said, “Application will be rejected in case the applicant fails to provide requisite documents.”
Chaudhary said they has possession of the land for last over 100 years. “NMC itself had issued notice that my house is dilapidated. I sought permission to construct new house for safety of my children, mother and family. Already, petition is pending in the high court. I am hopeful that departments concerned will give documents followed by sanction,” he said.
Earlier, Chaudhary had told TOI that his ancestors hold lease for the land for over 100 years. Name of Chaudhary’s father, Dilip, is written as lease holder in the records of city survey office.
During his tenure as minister for animal husbandry and dairy development, Sunil Kedar, also Congress MLA from Saoner, on January 21, 2020 had written to the then agriculture minister Dadaji Bhuse recommending to lease out 5.4 acres land in possession of Chaudhary for the last 120 years for dairy business. Considering Kedar’s letter, Bhuse had held meeting on July 27, 2020. Agriculture department sought replies from PDKV and Maharashtra Council of Education and Research.
It raises a question on Chaudhary’s claim that of having lease of sprawling 5.4 acres land in the lake’s catchment area where he has developed lawn, cement concrete booking office, temple, illegal hoarding etc.
POINTING TO VIOLATION
* Works started before NMC could sanction building plan
* No permission from PDKV or Mafsu, one of the two universities is land owner
* No construction is allowed within 50m from HFL of lake as per guidelines of Wetlands (conservation and management) Rules
* No construction is permissible within 100m of HFL of lake as per UDCPR
* Minister’s letter raises question whether Chaudhary having lease of the land
* No consent taken from MPCB