Residents of 14 villages near Navi Mumbai, Thane, and Kalyan have expressed growing concerns over the delay in receiving the final order for their merger with the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC).
The issue arose after a notification was issued in September of the previous year. The notification authorised the merger and defined new borders for the NMMC. However, progress has come to a standstill since then.
The citizens, under the Chauda Gaon Sarv Pakshiya Sangharsh Samiti (CGSPSS), recently met with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. They reminded him of the commitment made and the notification issued. The CM assured them of a meeting at Mantralaya, the state secretariat. Sespite these promises, no action has been taken yet. Even the nine-month period for recommendations and objections has already expired.
The 14 villages affected by the merger are Dahisar, Mokashi, Walivali, Pimpri, Nighu, Navali, Waklan, Bamarli, Narivali, Bele, Nagaon, Bhandarli, Uttar Shiv, and Goteghar. These villages were excluded when the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation was formed in 1991, comprising 45 other villages under the Thane zilla parishad.
The merger issue dates back to 2007, when the 14 villages decided to split from the Navi Mumbai civic body, citing neglect and a lack of attention to their specific area. Since 2015, they have been actively pushing for a merger with the NMMC to address the stagnation and lack of development in their region. It was only in March of the previous year that Eknath Shinde announced the decision to merge the villages with the NMMC.
The Sangharsh committee was established during the period when the villages decided to split from the NMMC. Concerns about potential land loss, tax implications, and public service issues were key factors that led to the committee's formation. Unfortunately, this period also witnessed instances of violence and arson. Rumours also circulated about the involvement of the land mafia in the disputes.
Unfortunately, the decision remained stagnant until the issuance of the notification in September. The notification requested comments and objections within a month, but no further progress has been made. In their bid to push for the merger, the citizens have even resorted to boycotting panchayat elections.
The population in the area has significantly increased over the years, leading to various challenges related to water supply, sewage management, waste disposal, and other essential public services. The lack of attention and resources has left the residents grappling with these issues on their own, causing further distress.
It is worth noting that the NMMC has invested over 75 crore in municipal infrastructure, including roads, water supply, health centres, and schools, in the surrounding neighbourhood.
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