Thane bifurcation will have to wait, says Minister

People from Palghar and other talukas of the district are involved in a tug-of-war over keeping the headquarters in their areas. While people from Wada, Jawhar, Dahanu, Mokhada and Talasari talukas are agitating to have Jawhar as the new district headquarters, the people of Palghar want the heaquarters here.

Asked why no announcement on the bifurcation was forthcoming from the State Government when there were but a few weeks left for the deadline, the minister said the “announcement will come at the appropriate time”.

“One does not know how much time the issue would take” to be resolved, and whether it would be resolved before May 1, Raote said, adding the State Government was prepared tostall the formation of the new district beyond May 1. If it missed the bus, he said, the next date would be August 15, 1999.

Raote, who is a member of the Cabinet sub-committee on the bifurcation of districts and their reorganisation, said he had suggested to the Chief Minister that one district comprising the urban region, including municipal corporation and council limits should be formed and another district, comprising mainly the tribal region, be formed. The urban district, he said, “will be strong” and modelled on the lines of Mumbai or the Mumbai Suburban district. “Sooner or later,” he added, “the confederation of civic bodies could work on major projects, be it drinking water or sewerage.” The tribal district, he added, would be “an independent district comprising the only tribal region.”

Rane had, during his recent visit to Ambernath, said the State Government would take elected representatives and the people into confidence before taking any decision on the new headquarters.

ThePingulkar Committee had, in its report, suggested that Palghar be the new district headquarters as it had the requisite facilities and infrastructure. In this connection, Raote said “administrative viability” was of equal importance.