Indore: Master Plan delay leading to construction of illegal colonies in city, says Mayor to CM

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav on Thursday dashed off a letter to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan terming the delay in development and implementation of new Master Plan as one of the major reasons behind construction of illegal colonies in the city.

Noting that the last Master Plan had expired in 2021, the Mayor sought the CM’s intervention in the development of new Master Plan and its implementation at the earliest.

“Illegal colonies are continuously increasing in Indore city due to delay in implementation of Master Plan. Once the illegal colonies are formed and the residents settle in these colonies they remain deprived of the basic facilities. The residents apply to Indore Municipal Corporation and other related offices to get these facilities, but since they are not listed as legal colonies with T&CP, IMC and other related offices their applications are not considered,” the letter reads.

It adds, “The government has to later legalise such illegal colonies in order to provide basic facilities to the citizens.”

In the letter Bhargav said that as Master Plan is not being implemented within the stipulated time, the colonisers are buying agricultural land at a cheap rate, and cutting plots and selling them to the citizens who are ignorant of the land use.

“The common man does not even look at the status of the land due to the plot being available at a low price, and after purchasing the said plot, starts building a house without obtaining permission for construction. Thus the number of illegal colonies increases in the city,” the letter says.

Giving records, Bhargav said that the previous Master Plans were also not implemented on time and there is no Master Plan in place since 2021.

“As Master Plan is not in force, the land use of agricultural lands is not determined and identified, due to which, the colonisers buy such lands and develop illegal colonies.

79 villages came in IMC’s fold in last two years

In the letter, Bhargav said that as many as 79 villages have come under the purview of the city’s limits since last Master Plan expired in 2021.

“The colonisers are eying agriculture land of these villages for developing illegal colonies,” Bhargav said requesting the CM to get new Master Plan completed and implemented at the earliest so that mushrooming of illegal colonies can be checked.