Farmers in Nashik organised a protest at the official residence of city mayor Yatin Wagh on Monday morning, demanding cancellation of Nashik Municipal Corporation’s (NMC) development plan, alleging that it favoured builders who are out to grab their land. Corporators from all parties rejected the new development plan of the NMC after a marathon meeting on Monday.
Farmers protested that builders had bought their land at cheaper rates and now reservation on the same land had been cancelled. Earlier, hundreds of farmers staged a blockade on the Nashik-Pune Highway at Sinnar Phata on Nashik Road protesting the development plan on Monday. The police registered cases against 21 persons, including women, but no arrests were made.
NCP MP from Nashik Sameer Bhujbal met the mayor on Monday morning and discussed the plan. He was accompanied by NCP corporators and they submitted a memorandum asking him to reject the plan.
However, the mayor claimed that assistant town planner Sulekha Vaijapurkar prepared the plan. “Mr Vaijapurkar had been referred by PWD minister Chhagan Bhujbal and NCP MLC Jayant Jadhav,” he said.
The Congress has opposed the plan and announced that it would not support it in the general body meeting, while former deputy mayor and Shiv Sena leader Ajay Boraste demanded that the plan be rejected at any cost.
MNS MLA advocate Uttamrao Dhikale said, “I would resign from the legislature if the DP was passed by the NMC general body. Mr Sameer Bhujbal said that the DP was against the interests of the people and should be scrapped. Orders have been given to NCP corporators to oppose it.”
MNS MLA Vasant Gite stated that 90 per cent farmers in municipal limits would become landless if the present DP is passed. He stated that land belonging to 18 corporators, including himself, had come under reservation. Mr Gite also claimed that Mr Vaijapurkar had committed a scam of `100 to `125 crore to draft the DP and he would bring the evidence before the people. Mayor Wagh belongs to the ruling party MNS.