Encroachments make way for roads

VADODARA, June 22: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation's VMC decision to act on encroachments seems to be paying off with more shopkeepers ...

VADODARA, June 22: The Vadodara Municipal Corporation8217;s VMC decision to act on encroachments seems to be paying off with more shopkeepers and residents voluntarily demolishing constructions falling in the road margin.

Dozens of shopkeepers and residents in Manjalpur and Gotri Road area have razed constructions falling in the road margin close on the heels of nearly 50 shopkeepers and residents on the Waghodia Road who had razed encroachments last week.

A week8217;s deadline is likely to end within a couple of days, but the results have already started showing.

Signboards:
The voluntary demolitions come in, even as nearly 2,000 shopkeepers have deployed skilled labour to remove the signboards after the VMC issued a latest notice asking to follow the General Development Control Regulations GDCR. The VMC has threatened that signboards would be removed if these were not altered.

Deputy Municipal Commissioner Administration H S Patel, however, said the VMC was giving some time to the shopkeepers as they needed some clarification regarding the size of the signboards which could be put up.

The latest public notice was issued on Monday after a section of the shopkeepers sought some clarifications regarding the size of the signboards and projections. Earlier, the Corporation had issued the notices thrice.

The notice states that since 1993, the VMC has cancelled the permission for suspended wooden blocks outside the shops. Patel said the shopkeepers were not permitted to lay construction which could prevent movement of pedestrians on the footpaths. Patel said cases against the defaulters could be filed under the Prevention of Damage to Public Properties Act.

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More than 700 persons, including owners of flashy commercial complexes and hotels in the upmarket areas who converted the parking slots for other purposes, were issued notices under section 260 1 of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation BPMC Act.

The builders and organisers were informed that the Vadodara Municipal Corporation will swing into action after giving another notice under section 260 2 of the Act if the persons concerned did not specify the stand or demolished the structures in contention.

Official sources in the Town Planning Department said as the week8217;s deadline neared, the department was tabulating records of the notices issued. Names of the defaulters were being listed out along with the nature of violations. Once the records are ready, the notices under section 260 2 of the BPMC Act will be issued after seeking the Municipal Commissioner8217;s permission.