Decision on DC rules in Jan

PUNE, Dec 14: The long-pending decision on revision of development control DC rules is expected to be taken by the city improvements co...

PUNE, Dec 14: The long-pending decision on revision of development control DC rules is expected to be taken by the city improvements committee next month.

The committee meeting, specially called to discuss the issue today, decided to take the final decision after holding discussion with representatives of the builders, architects, Express Citizens8217; Forum ECF and party leaders in the first week of next month.Committee chairman Rashid Shaikh told media persons that the decision would be taken immediately after holding discussions and would be sent to the general body for approval. Shaikh said the general body could take up the issue in the next month for a final decision.

The special meeting was called since three Bharatiya Janata Party BJP corporators including Suhas Kulkarni, Ujwal Keskar and Balasaheb Mokate had requested the committee to take the decision as early as possible in view of the urgent need to pay attention to the issue. The meeting decided to set up a sub-committee comprising of Rashid Shaikh, Vilas Wadekar, Ujwal Keskar, Uttam Bhelke, Aba Bagul, Kamal Vyavhare and Bhaganbai Jadhav to hold the seminar on the issue.

City engineer Madhav Harihar had sent a proposal on the revision of DC rules for off-street parking in March this year. However, the committee sent the entire proposal to the party leaders for their opinions. The decision on the issue has been pending for nine months as the party leaders never took up the matter. The civic administration had sought the permission of the State Government to amend the DC rules for off-street parking in 1993. The government, subsequently showed the green signal to the amendments in October 1996.

The PMC8217;s proposal, sent to the committee in March this year, has also suggested several amendments to the use of basement and stilt in non-congested, congested and old gaothans to improve traffic conditions on the city roads from the front page DC rules making more space available for the parking of vehicles.

Pune Housing and Area Development Board chairman Vijay Kale also had convened a workshop last month. It was attended by civic and government officials, representatives of builders, architects and ECF. The ECF had made suggestions to revise the DC rules for off-street parking. ECF suggestions were discussed in detail at the workshop. The participants had agreed on the need to change the DC rules in view of the worsening traffic conditions in the city.