The cluster development scheme, which was projected as Maharashtra chief minster Ashok Chavan’s brainchild to reach out to the ‘aam admi’ during the general elections last year, has hardly seen any progress. While Mr Chavan has cleared three files for cluster development, 18 are still pending with his office for the last one-and-half years.
Interestingly, these statistics are in stark contrast to the number of private development projects cleared by Mr Chavan after he became chief minister. One such scheme is the plan to create public parking on private premises. This scheme has not only enthused builders, but also the Chief Minister’s office. The reason — private development is a not only a “profitable” enterprise for the builder, but also for those who sanction these projects, claim developers.
While builders are content because they are offered more area to develop as part of the scheme, developers claim that the chief minister sanctions such projects because they fetch huge money bags.
In 2009, the state government had amended the Development Control (DC) Rule 33 and added a new provision, 33 (24), which stated that builders would get extra floor space index (FSI) if they constructed parking lots on their premises.
Following this, builders even modified their original plans to accommodate the parking lots and got their proposal sanctioned by the chief minister.
A classic example of this is Tulsi Pipe Road, where the CM has cleared four or five major projects by big builders — India Bulls, Lodha Builders, DLF etc. Each of these projects cost nothing less than `2,000 crores.
While it is common knowledge that the area is bursting at the seams and cannot handle the pressure of new infrastructural projects, the CM gave his go-ahead to these projects.
In fact, the environment ministry was forced to step in and reject one project by DB Realty after the CM’s clearance. According to sources, the environment ministry, while rejecting the proposal had clearly stated that the developer cannot carry out construction “blindly”.
This move of the chief minister has also not gone down well with environmental activists. Activists have alleged that the scheme was introduced by the Chief Minister only to suit the interest of builders.
“There is absolutely no thought given to infrastructural planning. Projects are being sanctioned arbitrarily,” said advocate Y.P. Singh, who has filed numerous public interest litigations on infrastructure issues. Mr Singh has also issued a legal notice to the state government stating that no permissions should be granted until environment and infrastructure issues are addressed.
Another startling revelation is the fate of a policeman, who allegedly tried to come in the way of realtors’ ambitions. According to sources, the sanction of a project has to be first cleared by a high-power committee. The committee is supposed to approve the project at different stages. One of the required approvals is that of the joint commissioner of police, traffic. The then joint commissioner of traffic, Sanjay Barve, who held the post two years ago, had rejected many proposals that the chief minister had approved.
Mr Barve, who was scheduled to take over as Aurangabad commissioner (a circular to that effect was issued), was mysteriously shunted to Nashik and was asked to handle the training portfolio. Was he being punished for allegedly coming in the way of the “ambitious plans” of powerful men?