DP approval: Hopes soar after comeback

While the opposition parties and some leaders in the Congress Party are opposing the draft of revised Development Plan (DP) for old city limits, the city unit of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) expects that Ajit Pawar’s comeback in the cabinet will help it getting the draft approved.

The opposition parties — Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena are raising questions over the deletion of important reservations in the DP. A group of Congress corporators too, is alleging that the DP serves the interests of the builders’ lobby.

The draft of the revised DP (1987) was submitted before the city improvement committee (CIC) on December 12 , 2011. After Ajit Pawar resigned from the state cabinet in September 2012, the CIC approved the draft of the revised DP. However, the NCP which wants the DP to be approved, has not been able to get it cleared in the general body.

Corporators of BJP, MNS, Shiv Sena and Congress have been demanding copies of the DP for studying before holding a discussion. Now, when the DP is scheduled to be discussed in the GB meeting on December 18, Ajit Pawar’s return will boost the morale of NCP leaders.