Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The High Court, principal bench of Jabalpur pulled up Town and Country Planning (T&CP) for non-implementation of master plan in state. Nagrik Upbhokta Manch, Jabalpur had filed a petition. Similarly, Citizens Forum of Bhopal also had filed a petition.
T&CP has been given three weeks’ time to reply otherwise its director will be called in the HC. The double bench of Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain passed the order.
Nagrik Upbhokta Manch president PG Najpande informed Free Press, ‘T&CP has been given three weeks to reply. HC pulled up T&CP for non-implementation of master plan. We have filed a petition stating that in absence of the master plan, there is random development.’ Citizens Forum, immediately after Assembly elections had approached the HC for implementation of master plan in Bhopal.
Earlier, the HC had issued notice to the state government. Master plan -2031 has not been implemented.
There were a lot of irregularities in Bhopal master plan. The entire green belt was made commercial. The forest area where tigers reside was declared residential. The planning area was increased from 600 sq km to around 1016 sq km.
In this too, 850 sq km was proposed for development work, which is too much in terms of population.
Bhopal master plan was made by estimating population of the city to be 36 lakh in 2031, whereas population of the city is estimated to be only 26 lakh by 2031.
Apart from this, 70 per cent of green area was reduced. Wildlife, environment and water sources were also not taken care of. Despite movement of tigers in catchment area of ?Upper Lake, construction was allowed here.
