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Row over development of tenanted land at Merces Tenants want TCP permission revoked
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
MERCES, FEB 5 - Development of a tenanted land at Morombi-O-Grande in Merces, allegedly without the consent of the tenants, has snowballed into a major controversy, with the tenants, led by Suresh Pilarnekar, opposing the project tooth and deciding to thwart any further destruction of fruit-bearing trees like coconuts and mangoes.
The tenants have already informed the Collectorâs office and the Town Planner Ashok Kumar about the various irregularities by the panchayat while issuing the NOC and also demanded that the TCP immediately revoke the permission granted to the developer for providing false information.
Town Planner Ashok Kumar assured to look into the matter and also informed that if the department comes across any irregularities, as alleged, the permission granted would be revoked.
Tiswadi Mamlatdar Suresh Narulkar, who visited the site on Monday to hold talks with the aggrieved tenants, told Herald that he would submit a report to the deputy collector for necessary action.
Suresh Pilarnekar told Herald that the TCP had laid down certain conditions to the panchayat, which needed to be fulfilled before granting NOC to the developer and said one of the pre-conditions was verification of the tenancy position, which was not done by the panchayat.
He added that the grant of NOC by the panchayat without a valid conversion sanad was itself illegal and hence should be revoked immediately. He also showed a plan, where a house of one mundkar and a well were not shown, thereby raising doubts about the intentions of the developer.
Earlier on Sunday, the tenants had confronted Merces Sarpanch Sandhya Hoble over the issue and sought to know why they were kept in the dark for so long and also had demanded that the sarpanch immediately revoke the licence.
The sarpanch then had assured the tenants that she would look into the matter before acting in the case.
When contacted, the landlord informed that he had taken prior consent of all the tenants before giving a go-ahead to the developer Gautam Thakur to develop the land.
He further divulged that in September, 2006, a meeting had taken place between him and the mundkars and the issue of settlement to the tenants was also discussed.
Developer Gautam Thakur also said he had all the legal documents required for developing the land and said he had broken no law. âPilarnekar is trying to extract mileage out of the issue to further his own political ambitions,â alleged Thakur. Pilarnekar has, however, rubbished the claims.
Pilarnekar, however, agreed to the fact that a meeting had taken place with the landlord, where the tenants had demanded that before going ahead with any development, their settlement should be done first and foremost, which he says, has not been done.
Meanwhile, a press release issued by Gautam Thakur states that plans are approved by the Town and Country Planning Department, PWD and Health and also construction license is obtained from the Merces Panchayat.
The release further states that permission has been obtained from the Forest authorities for cutting of trees.
Regarding the mundkarial issue, the release states that this is the first phase of development and that the lone mundkarial house present will not be touched till alternate accommodation is done. Also the next phase will be started only after all mundkarial issues are sorted out, where the mundkars will need to shift, the release states.
