Bapat asks MIDC to probe land 'misuse'

Pimpri Chinchwad: District guardian minister Girish Bapat has directed the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation to conduct an inquiry into the allegations of misuse of its open spaces in Pimpri Chinchwad.
Bapat issued the directive after Amol Thorat, general secretary of the Pimpri Chinchwad unit of BJP, alleged that the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) had disposed of 150 acres during the NCP-Congress rule in the past 15 years.
Bapat told TOI, "I have received a memorandum from Thorat about the misuse of the amenity and open spaces in MIDC areas. I have directed MIDC to conduct an in-depth inquiry and submit a report about the points raised in the memorandum."
Bapat said the deadline for submitting the report had not been specified. "Once I get the report, I shall be able to speak more on the issue," he said.
Thorat in his memorandum said the total area of MIDC in Pimpri Chinchwad city was 1,200 hectares. Of it, 10 per cent and five per cent areas are reserved for open and amenity space, respectively. Some people have usurped these reserved spaces during the 15-year-rule of the Congress-NCP. There is a need to conduct a detailed inquiry, he said.
Thorat alleged that MIDC did not have records of 112 plots. He claimed that 64 plots reserved for open spaces were transferred to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) for development. But a majority of them had not been developed and 70 per cent of the plots had been encroached upon, he alleged.
"Hotels, housing projects and college have been developed on plots reserved for open and amenity spaces. Criminal complaints should be lodged against persons and officials involved in it," he said.
Out of the 1200 hectares (3000 acres), the areas reserved for amenity spaces is 150 acres. This is necessary for providing amenities like gardens, playgrounds, and cultural centres. Pimpri Chinchwad MIDC has completely neglected it.
A total of 404 plots have been created on the 150 acre land reserved for amenity space in the city.
Thorat has sought detailed information about the number of plots reserved in MIDC areas, plots transferred to PCMC, plots developed by PCMC, type of reservation on plots and the current status.
A source in MIDC termed the allegations as of Thorat "vague". A senior MIDC official said the open spaces were handed over to PCMC to develop gardens and playgrounds and the civic body should take action against encroachments. If any encroachment has occurred on the plots transferred to PCMC, then it should take action. "If there are any violations of building permission rules by industrialists, a specific complaint must be given about the violators and MIDC can then take action against them," he said.