The Nagpur Bench of Bombay High Court has rejected the writ petition filed by the plot owners before it against the anti-encroachment drive launched by the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC), hence paving the way for the much-awaited Sports Authority of India’s (SAI) state-of-the-art sports complex in Nagpur.
The anti-encroachment squad of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Nagpur Metro Regional Development Authority (NMRDA) had launched a drive against the encroachments at Wathoda Tarodi Khurd, the place where SAI’s regional centre is coming up.
A writ petition was filed by the affected persons. A HC bench comprising Justice Sunil Shukre and Justice Shriram Modak after going through various aspects of the case observed that public utility land was provided to the SAI for setting up its regional centre. The lay out was formed illegally and the land owners have not right on the land.
The State government had acquired this land several years ago. It was handed over to SAI for developing its 12th regional centre on lease basis for 30 years. A notification was issued in this regard on January 27, 2016. The construction of regional centre is likely to start soon.
However, before starting the work it was necessary to remove the houses constructed on it illegally. The NMRDA had and NMC had issued notices to the owners of houses constructed on about 10 acre of the 141.5 acre given to SAI.
However, dwellers of Mahakalkar lay-out have approached the high court to stop the anti-encroachment drive. A writ petition was filed by the Mahakalkar Layout Plot Owners Sangharsh Samiti.
The petitioners have claimed that the State government has decided to regularise the illegal constructions before January 1, 2011. Hence, razing their houses by the civic body was illegal. Taking this into cognizance, the court had permitted the land owners to give memorandum to the State government.
The court also directed the State government to take action in accordance with the law within three weeks after receiving the memorandum.
It is pertinent to note here that two developers had allegedly developed two layouts on about 20 acres of land there and sold plots over a decade ago.
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