The SPA status provided power to develop the land as per land-use plans designed and finalised by the SPA itself. It also provided the authority to punish the perpetrators of irregularities.
Making it clear that a comprehensive inquiry into the previous permissions will not be ordered, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that the state government has revoked the planning authority status accorded to Lavasa city in Pune district.
Lavasa city was accorded the Special Planning Authority (SPA) status by the previous Congress-NCP government. Despite the Comptroller and auditor general (CAG) report suggesting revoking of SPA to Lavasa in 2012, the status remained.
The SPA status provided power to develop the land as per land-use plans designed and finalised by the SPA itself. It also provided the authority to punish the perpetrators of irregularities.
CM Fadnavis said that since Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA) has been instituted, there is no need for any other development authority within one district of Pune.
Fadnavis said that the public accounts committee which has submitted its report had also recommended revoking this status to Lavasa. When asked as to whether there would be an inquiry into the violation of Floor Space Index (FSI), the CM said, "Cancelling the SPA status means Lavasa will have to approach PMRDA for every permission. If there is any violation of law, inquiry will be conducted but it does not mean that a comprehensive inquiry will be conducted in every decision taken by Lavasa."
When asked as to whether there will be an inquiry into the water being solely made available for Lavasa, Fadnavis said, "I will not be able to give an answer on all these issues but irrigation department will be taking a call on whether there was any violation of law pertaining to use of water or having sole access to water for Lavasa."
The construction of the city is still incomplete as there were restrictions imposed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, which stalled the work in Lavasa almost six years ago. It was during the Congress-NCP government led by late Vilasrao Deshmukh that a special Cabinet meeting was held for to decide on various issues regarding Lavasa, which was first planned on the lines of Portofino, a city in Italy.
Lavasa is situated in the Mulshi valley of Sahyadri Ranges in Pune district.
What will happen?
Lavasa, which did not require permissions for its plans from the town planning department because of its special status, will now have to approach PMRDA right from the planning stage while undertaking further developments.
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