The 50% concession scheme for regularising properties in 119 Gunthewari localities in the city has been extended until 31 December, announced Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) commissioner and administrator G Srikanth at a press conference on Thursday.

The state government has decided to regularise properties and constructions up to 2020 in the Gunthewari localities. Accordingly, CSMC has been implementing this process over the past few years. The administration had previously appealed to residents to regularise their properties by paying betterment charges, with an initial deadline of 30 September, which has now been extended until 31 December.

Earlier, a 50% concession on betterment charges was granted to residents to regularise their properties. However, this concession was phased out, leading to a decline in the number of regularisation files submitted to the corporation. Amid widespread demand for the return of the concession, the 50% reduction was reinstated. Now, residents can submit Gunthewari files to the corporation by 31 December and avail themselves of the 50% concession, Srikanth stated.

In total, 1,560 proposals for regularisation under the Gunthewari Act have been received over the past five months, of which 1,310 have been approved, generating Rs 22.75 crore in revenue for the corporation. A single window system introduced by the administrator has expedited the processing of these files.

Srikanth also noted that several residential localities had been established in green zones. These lands have since been reclassified as yellow zones in the development plan. Although the government has yet to sanction the development plan, Gunthewari proposals from these areas are still being accepted, he added.

Family of Youth Blames Police for Brain Stroke

Two groups violently clashed during the Ganesh Visarjan in the Shivajinagar area a few days ago. The Pundliknagar police have taken 14 suspects into custody. Family members and relatives of one of the accused, Pratik Kumawat, alleged that he sustained a brain stroke due to the torture he experienced while in police custody. They staged a severe agitation in front of the hospital where Pratik was being treated a few days ago, demanding that a complaint be registered in this regard. After the intervention of the police and some political leaders, they withdrew the agitation on the assurance that a case would be registered.

On 17 September, two groups confronted each other over the issue of throwing Gulal at each other during the Ganpati Visarjan procession in the Shivajinagar area. A case was registered at the Pundliknagar police station, and the police arrested several youths from the Shambhunagar area, including Pratik Kumawat (21). Pratik sustained a brain stroke and is currently being treated at a private hospital on Adalat Road. On Wednesday, his family members, relatives, and residents of the Shambhunagar area gathered in front of the hospital and staged agitation. They demanded strict action against the police responsible for Pratik’s condition.

Former mayor Nandu Ghodele, Gajanan Barwal, Sandeep Shirsat, ACP Ranjeet Patil, PI Sandeep Gurme, PI Kundan Jadhav, and others intervened and assured the agitators that adequate action would be taken in this matter. A complaint was taken from the family members.