MUMBAI: Mayor Snehal Ambekar is likely to finally announce the names of the three civic standing committee members on the panel that will hear suggestions and objections to the revised draft Development Plan (DP) 2034 on Thursday. The panel is likely to have two members from Shiv Sena—the party leader in the BMC and the civic standing committee chairman—and the Opposition party leader from Congress. The BJP may not be a part of the committee.
The move comes almost two months after the state director of town planning appointed three of its own experts on the panel. In fact, the three experts—retired additional chief secretary Gautam Chatterjee, retired chief civic engineer Sudhir Ghate and retired deputy director of town planning Suresh V Surve—have already begun the process of hearing suggestions and objections raised by government departments. The Sena was reportedly dilly dallying with finalizing the names of the three civic members on the panel. One of the demands was to have all party leaders on the panel, which the BMC said was not possible under the MRTP Act 1966. “At the civic group leaders’ meeting on Tuesday, it was decided that all party group leaders would be invitees to the DP hearing panel. Therefore, we will now announce the names,” said a civic leader.
In April 2015, the CM asked BMC to revise the draft DP after activists and citizens found major errors. The revised draft was published in May 2016 and suggestions and objections invited. “The deadline to hear public feedback is October 12 as three members were appointed by the state on August 12. The panel may now seek an extension to hear suggestions and objections,” said a civic official.