CM assures House of city DP approval in fortnight

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday announced, the state will approve the development plan (DP) for Mumbai in the next fifteen days. Special development control rules will be prepared for Koliwadas, Gaothans and Tribal hamlets (padas).

Replying to the debate held last week on various issues pertaining to Mumbai, Fadnavis also told the Assembly, his government was positive to the demand of waiving off property tax for residential houses up to 750 sq.ft in Mumbai.

Shiv Sena MLA Sunil Prabhu demanded property tax for houses upto 500 sq.ft be waived off while Ashish Shelar (BJP) had said 750sq.ft houses be exempted from property tax in last week. Fadnavis said the government is positive to this demand. He said, “The BMC should send a proposal to this effect to the government. Unlike other civic bodies,BMC’s finances are good and the civic body can afford to give such concession to the residents.”

The step is expected to give benefit 21 lakh homes in the city. Chief Minister also said the government has given Rs 600 crore to the BMC as GST compensation this year in lieu of scrapping of octroi.

He said the BMC send the draft of DP to the government on August 2,2017 and director town planning has given the suggestion on the DP and submitted report on February 2,2018. It is to be noted that the statutory period for approving the plan is two and half years. But, the govt is expediting the process. It has set up scrutiny committee headed by Urban development principal secretary.

Fadnavis added, “The DP will be approved in March itself. The original draft is prepared by the BMC, the civic body’s planning committee and general body makes amendments to the draft. The state government’s committee checks whether the amendments have been done as per rules.”

The government has decided that there will be no compromise on open spaces.

He said, “Demarcation of gaothans, koliwadas, tribal hamlets is under process. If some are left out, the BMC

commissioner can include the same in the DP even after it is approved.”

Just ahead of the general assembly poll, the state govt gave a gift of houses to city slum-dwellers. He told the Assembly that the slum-dwellers

in Mumbai up to 2011 will be given the permanent housing. In this connection, a proposal has been sent to President of the Country. The move help 3.5 lakh slumdwellers of the city for getting pucca houses.