PMC panel does a somersault

The proposal would now need a final sanction of the civic general body before the administration could begin the procedure for de-zoning the plot. It was still unclear whether the State Government had in fact given a green signal to initiating the process way back in 1981 as claimed by the administration.

Many a eye brow was being raised in the civic corridors since the committee had voiced its united opposition to the administrative proposal soon after it was tabled before the standing committee on May 5, 1998, suggesting conversion of the 4047 square metre plot at Sadashiv Peth house no. 95 part into a public/semi-public zone.

8220;We had our doubts, which were cleared by the administration during the meeting,8221; Bodke told media persons. But the BJP members, who were reduced to a minority during the meeting, were furious since they were of the opinion that those indulging in a glaring illegality in connivance with somebody within the civic administration should not be allowed to go scotfree.

Bodke claimed that the de-zoning was inevitable since the Rajasthani and Gujarati Charitable Trust, which runs the hospital, had sought building permission in the 1980s and later constructed the building. Besides, the State Government had issued a government resolution GR permitting the change in land use. It was only recently when the Trust sought additional floor space index FSI that the PMC realised that the de-zoning was not done, he claimed.

It may be mentioned here that the Patit Pawan Sanghatana PPS had exposed the administration8217;s sly move last month while threatening to launch an agitation if the procedure laid down in section 37 of Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, for de-zoning of land was not followed by it.