IN A major respite to developers and landowners who had purchased land on Wardha Road, the Maharashtra Government on Wednesday promised to positively consider the development permission for lands situated upto 750 meters in 99 villages situated on Wardha Road and other growth centres.

Minister of State for Urban Development Rajesh Tope also promised the Legislative Assembly to issue necessary clarification on technicalities of Nagpur District Regional Development Plan within 15 days. In simple terms, this is an effort to relax the stringent norm of granting No Objection Certificate and Non-Agricultural Cess to lands situated only within 200 and 500 metres of Gaothan limits. Because if massive irregularities. Committed by the Town Planning department land deals worth thousands of crore came to standstill, causing panic in realty market.

West Nagpur MLA Devendra Fadnavis, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Madan Yerawar and others had raised the issue of non-issuance of No Objection Certificate (NOC) of Town Planning and Non-Agricultural cess through a call attention motion. If such a permission is not granted more than 1 lakh plots would become unauthorised, Fadnavis apprehended while criticising the outdated norms still in force.

Fadnavis said that in Regional Development Plan it was mentioned that development permission may be granted up to 750 meters for development in the vicinity of villages situated upto 5 kilometers of 60 metre wide road. However, Town Planning Department had not issued any permission of Non Agriculture (NA) under this rule. Besides the land deals have come to standstill because of this outdated rule and ambiguity maintained by the officials about ground reality.

Tope said that government had sanctioned Regional Development Plan on May 2000 and it was implemented from July 2000. It was recommended that government may allow residential devel-opment up to 750 metres in the villages.

Around 99 villages fall within this development zone. However, this provision was not proposed for new residential areas of CIDCO.

Tope said that Deputy Director of Town Planning Department, Nagpur sought direction from State Government on this particular issue. Minister of State informed that Director of Town Planning, Pune has sent his comments on the letter of Deputy Director of Town Planning letter.

After studying this letter, State Government would take proper decision within fifteen days. Sources said that Town Planning Department has recommended residential development up to 200 metres from the growth centre. Fadnavis demanded development upto 750 mt should be permitted in villages situated within Growth Centre.

Fadnavis pointed out that under Regional Development Plan, no residential zone is shown up to 500 metres in the villages having population less then 5000, as on 1991. Town Planning Department has recommended increase of the Gaothan limit from 500 metres to 750 metres.

Bawankule demanded realignment of Ring Road while Ramesh Bang demanded a meeting of elected representatives on the issue.