Mah govt gives BMC 90 days to amend development rules

Mumbai, June 27 (UNI) Maharashtra Government has decided to extend the time limit granted to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to consider changes in the development rules by 90 days..

The Government has also given the civic body another eight to ten days to take a final decision on development policy for gardens and playgrounds.

Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh chaired a meeting of BMC and the State Government last evening to discuss various pending issues regarding Mumbai's development.

The meeting assumes, significance after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked for the city being freed from the strangle-hold of land mafia and ''cancer of corruption.'' The next meeting of the co-ordination committee will take place in August.

It was also decided that the Government and BMC officials would sit together and work out the quantum of dues to be paid to the civic body, as well as grants to schools. Financial assistance for replacing old water main lines would be done through the National Urban Renewal Mission, the Chief Minister said.

He has also given a go-ahead to amend the Bombay Municipal Act, 1888, to bring in effective city governance. He also asked the BMC to take a decision on regularisation of mezzanine floors, built prior to August 15,1997.

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