Cong alleges irregularities in publication of Thane URPs

The Congress today alleged irregularities in publication of Urban Renewal Plans (URPs) for cluster development and blamed the Shiv Sena-ruled civic body.

"For the reasons best known to the Sena, the party showed an undue haste in passing the URPs by ignoring various mandatory requirements," alleged Thane city and district unit Congress president Manoj Shinde.

He said the Sena and the TMC (Thane Municipal Corporation) administration are responsible for these "irregularities".

Leader of Congress in TMC Vikrant Chavan said the party would launch a protest against the URPs.

Civic commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal had in March presented 43 URPs before political leaders and the media.

The cluster development scheme aims at all-round development of the city by improving road network, increasing open spaces, green zones and civic amenities.

The first phase of the scheme is expected to take around 15 years for implementation.

The project aims to construct 23,000 colonies in the city.

Shinde alleged sections 31 (1) and 37 (1) of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act have not been adhered to and the approval of the TMC general body was not taken before publication of the URPs.

The state government had issued a notification dated July 5, 2017 sanctioning the scheme, which was to be approved by the general body in due course after consulting various stake-holders, he said.

"However, on April 27, 2018, the corporation came out with a notification and an advertisement announcing implementation of the scheme. There is a disparity between the proposed areas to be allotted to the slum dwellers and those residing in the dangerous buildings under the scheme," he alleged.

He said the areas under forest cannot be included in the scheme.