The Maharashtra government, which has batted for reserving ‘playgrounds’ in the recently approved Development Plan (DP) 2034, seems to be in no mood to implement it in the true sense. This can be said so since the government on Friday told the Bombay High Court that encroachments on playgrounds can be ‘regularised’ by planning authorities.
This submission was advanced by the government while defending its amendment to the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act. By this amendment, the government has proposed to regularise all illegal and unauthorised structures constructed up till December 31, 2015.
Anil Sakhre, the special counsel in the case, while defending the amendment, said, “The encroachments upon playgrounds can be regularised if the encroachers move an application before the planning authority. However, the present amendment does not allow regularisation of the encroachments upon gardens and open spaces.”