Aurangabad civic body acquires private land for road widening

AURANGABAD: The municipal body, which has been drawing flak for delaying land acquisition and keeping many civic projects on hold, has managed to acquire a piece of land obstructing the main road near the under-construction flyover at Baba petrol pump.

The municipal authorities acquired the private property on Monday for road widening.

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is building the flyover on a stretch of 0.65km. The flyover, which is nearing completion, would connect two crucial points of the city - Baba petrol pump and the Aurangabad railway station. The road witnesses heavy flow of traffic round the clock.

The authorities recently noticed that a private property would pose a big hurdle in smooth flow of traffic at the railway station-end of the flyover. About 260 sqm front area of the property would block significant traffic once the flyover is made operational.

Accordingly, the Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) decided to acquire the land managed to do so in a short span.

During a review meeting held here on Monday, city engineer in the AMC Sakharam Panzade told mayor Trimbak Tupe that the civic body has succeeded in acquiring the land. The cash-strapped civic body, which has no funds for paying the land's price, has offered transfer of development rights (TDR) to the property owners.

Rahul Patel, the property's owner, also confirmed that the piece of land has been given to the civic body.

Around 10-12 private properties are delaying the construction of Kranti Chowk to railway station road for the last three years. A property in Samrathanagar is coming in the way of the main road. Many properties are obstructing the roads in old city and other parts, but the municipal authorities have been unable to resolve the issues for one reason or the other.