Reapproach if unsatisfied with Maha govt final notification on excluding Uruli Devachi and Phursungi: Bombay HC to petitioners

The move of excluding Uruli Devachi and Phursungi villages from PMC limits was started by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde after former Shiv Sena legislator Vijay Shivtare demanded it citing the opposition of the villagers. However, many local citizens and other political parties had objected to the move saying this will hamper development work in these villages.

On Monday, petitioner Ujjwal Keskar said, “The state government informed the High Court that the final notification on excluding the two villages of Uruli Devachi and Phursungi from PMC will be issued after completing all the legal processes. The PMC administration has the powers of the civic body after the state government appointed an administrator, and we have consulted with the civic administration on it”.

The state government assured the court that it would consider the petitioners’ contentions before issuing the final notification.

Keskar said the court has now asked the petitioners to submit their consideration within 10 days. “The court has said that if the petitioner is not satisfied with the final notification of the state government then they can reapproach the high court,” Keskar said.

On August 9, the High Court had instructed the state government to inform whether it would withdraw its notification to exclude these villages from the PMC limits or the court should take its decision.

Hearing separate petitions filed by Ranjeet Raskar, BJP leader Ujwal Keskar, and a few villagers, the bench of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Arif S Doctor on August 9 had said, “The court after hearing the matter has asked the government pleader that to take instructions on whether the state government will withdraw the notification issued on March 31”.

The petitioners had pleaded that the municipal commissioner’s consent should not be considered as that of the civic body because the elected body is not in place at present after its previous term ended in 2022.

Advocate Pralhad Pranjape, representing Ranjeet Raskar, had pointed out to the Court that the state government notification is illegal and is contrary to the High Court judgement on Kalyan-Dombivali in a similar case and therefore, the notification for excluding Uruli Devachi and Phursungi from PMC should be withdrawn.

CM Shinde had made the announcement of excluding the villages from the PMC, and the state government had on March 31 issued a draft notification to exclude the two villages from the PMC limit and constitute a separate municipal council for the area.

Last year, the state government had merged 23 villages in PMC limits.