AHMEDABAD: A long-standing controversy over alleged irregularities in the prestigious Makarba town planning (TP) scheme 204 is nearing its end. A state-appointed town planning committee probing the matter has recommended a 40% deduction in original plot sizes for around 50 high-profile individuals.
The TP scheme 204 covers 1,100 hectares and includes Sarkhej, Okaf, Makarba, Vejalpur and Ambli. Sandwiched between SG Highway, Mumatpura Road and SP Ring Road, it is the city’s largest and high-profile residential and commercial area off SG Highway.
For nearly six years it has been embroiled in controversy involving alleged manipulation of land deduction rules to benefit VVIP plot owners.
Revisions to TP scheme’s draft by a three-member town planning committee formed by the state govt following widespread allegations of manipulation, plan to put the issue to rest. While proposing a mandatory 40% deduction from original plots belonging to around 50 VVIPs, it also plans to impose a reservation of ‘sale for residential purposes’ on the land deducted.
On Friday, the revised plan will be placed before the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) town planning committee for nod before it is sent to state govt for preliminary approval.
The controversy started in 2007 when the area was under Ahmedabad Urban Development Authority (Auda) limits.
The authority had allowed a ‘samjhauti karar’ or an MoU between owners of original plots who did not want to deductions from their prime land for civic amenities and owners of cheaper plots. These cheaper plots served as alternative deductions despite being in a different location or village.
“Fifty to 60 VVIP landowners got undue benefits from the samjhauti karar. They gave the mandatory 40% deductions not from their prime plots, but from cheaper plots on the outskirts or in a neighbouring village through the MoU,” a senior AMC official said.
“This agreement was not official, but was still accepted by corrupt town planning officials,” revealed a state urban development department official.
This resulted in huge losses to the AMC and the issue was raked up in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly.
In 2007, the area under TP scheme 204 came under AMC.
A letter from AMC’s then chief city planner (CCP) to the state govt on the alleged manipulation led to the suspension of a town planning officer (TPO). State govt stalled development permissions (DPs) in the TP scheme 2017 onwards and set up the committee with three TPOs to revise the plan.
The committee made several improvements, including imposing the 40% cut on the original plots, affecting those VVIP landowners who had taken advantage of the MoU.
A Feb 3, 2024, letter to the from the urban development department to the municipal commissioner and TPOs, a copy of which is with TOI, orders granting development permissions in TP scheme 204 by strictly following the state govt’s Sept 13, 2022, guidelines.
The guidelines state that development permission would be given only in cases where a final plot was given in the original plot and a 40% deduction has been received.
