The Patna High Court

Patna, Feb. 3: Expressing deep concern over urban facilities gradually disappearing from the state capital, Patna High Court today came down heavily on the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the urban development department for falling prey to the land mafia and failing to come out with the final master plan.

In 2006, the urban development department had brought out projections about Patna 2021 in which the state capital was to be spread out over 333 square kilometres, even as the population was expected to touch half a million.

In 2008 it was declared that a Vadodara-based company would make the master plan of Patna. However, two years down the line, the urban development department is yet to finalise the plan even as roads get choked and developers build apartments in places which are congested, having narrow roads and incapable of handling the growing population. Amid this uneven growth, real estate prices have shot up.

A division bench comprising Justice Shiva Kirti Singh and Gopal Prasad, which was hearing the petition in this connection, was not satisfied with the urban development department’s progress report and directed it to furnish details of the action taken since September 17, 2010, the last date of hearing, within four weeks.

During a brief hearing on a petition filed by Ravindra Kumar Rai seeking implementation of the master plan, the bench observed that “(the) PMC and urban development department are in the grip of the land mafia and therefore (the) master plan for Patna could not be finalised yet”.

The court had on September 17 last year underlined that the draft master-plan had remained a mere draft on account of lack of co-ordination between the different government departments and the corporation.

It directed all the authorities concerned to hold joint meetings and conferences to give final shape to the master plan within four months.

The court had noted in its order that “lack of an approved master plan is serving the interest of land mafia who are constructing multi-storeyed apartments on very narrow or non-existent roads and the state authorities appear to be oblivious to this situation”.

The judges had further said: “Gradually, all urban facilities are disappearing from the town of Patna and soon even a posh area may turn into slums. Already, due to lack of any alternative site, major parts of roads have become markets and there is hardly any place for parking near important public places.”

Anil Kumar Singh, the petitioner’s counsel, submitted that in the absence of a proper master plan for the state capital, illegal apartments have mushroomed in Patna violating the law laid down by Patna Regional Development Authority (PRDA), now merged with the PMC.

In another matter pertaining to the illegal encroachment in parks, khatals and other places of the capital, the PMC came under severe flak from the same division bench for failing to free the triangular park at Sri Krishna Nagar from illegal encroachments.

Hearing a PIL by Barun Kumar Sharma seeking removal of illegal encroachments from parks and khatals, the court directed the district administration to provide adequate security forces to get the triangular park at Sri Krishna Nagar area freed from the illegal encroachments.

The petitioner’s counsel, Shambhu Sharan Singh, submitted that the corporation, on December 21, 2009, had issued an official order declaring the six huts made in triangular park near road number eight of Sri Krishna Nagar area illegal but the PMC could not get rid of these encroachments.

PMC counsel Vishwa Bibhuti Singh submitted that the civic body tried to get rid of the illegal encroachers twice but it could not clear the place due to inadequate number of policemen.

The court said: “It is surprising that the PMC is admitting its fault that it has failed to get clear of the area from illegal encroachments despite its repeated efforts.”