Civic body starts marking properties for road widening

AURANGABAD: The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has finally started marking properties between Jalna Road and Champa Chowk to pave way for the much-awaited 100 ft road that would link Jalna Road with Cidco.
This would help ease the pressure on Jalna Road, the civic body sources said on Monday. “The AMC has already acquired land in the Champa Chowk area quite a few years ago,” sources said.
Over 300 houses would be affected by the road widening and the civic body is offering TDR (transfer of development rights) or FSI (floor space index) in lieu of the property as it has no cash at its disposal.
Sources said the civic body was also giving a thought of rehabilitating most the residents elsewhere from the slum-type areas as many of the affected people are poverty stricken. However, those who have proper documents of ownership would be given TDR or FSI facilities.
“The city has got into the smart city club that has propelled the AMC to work out on efforts like wide roads. Aurangabad was included in the third list of Smart Cities released on September 20, 2015, raising much hopes. If the residents come forward and cooperate by handing over properties by accepting TDR or FSI facilities, it would help the city achieve the coveted Smart City tag,” said the sources.
The civic body officials also pointed out that the corporation will not face any problem Champa Chowk to Hazrat Peerghaib Sahab Dargah Road as they had already acquired the properties in the area long ago and paid compensation and rehabilitated affected people to other places.
“In 2011, the then municipal commissioner Purshottam Bhapkar had initiated the process to widen Jalna Road to Champa Chowk but the work was abandoned midway due to some technicalities. However, the officials have now removed the technical difficulties and have started marking the properties afresh,” said a civic official.