AMC approves 7,589 files under Gunthewari Act in 18 years

Aurangabad, June 29:

The Aurangabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) has extended the scheme to legalise illegal properties under Gunthewari Act from 2001 to 2018. However, the work to legalise the properties has been done at a snail's pace in AMC as in the past 18 years, the civic administration approved 7,589 files only.

Earlier, the state government has announced legalising all the illegal properties built before December 31, 2020, under the Gunthewari Act. Accordingly, the AMC established an independent Gunthewari Cell. Meanwhile, the civic administration has claimed that the decision will benefit one lakh properties of the city. It may be noted that under Gunthewari Act the properties built till 2001 were proposed to be legalised, but in the past couple of decades, 7,589 files were approved. Hence the question arises of how long the AMC would take to bring one lakh properties under the property tax net.

More than a couple of decades ago, the land mafia sold out acres of land in the city by marking plots of size 600 square feet. This burdened the AMC as it had to provide basic amenities like road, sewage, water, streetlights, etc facilities. It is guessed that there are around 75,000 properties that are yet to be legalised. It is apparent that the state government has taken the decision keeping an eye on the voters and to encash in the forthcoming municipal corporation elections.

The Gunthewari Cell established by the AMC comprises a head, an assistant, and zone-wise technical staff. However, the AMC is waiting for the state's approval to charges which are to be collected while legalising the properties. Hence the works will gain momentum only after receiving the state's order.

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There were 118 illegal colonies in the city before 2001. Of the total files received, the AMC approved 7,589 files (of properties built before 2001) and rejected 2,175 files. Meanwhile, the AMC is now eyeing legalising the newly built properties which is ascertained to be around 1 lakh in number.