BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh has prepared a new draft master plan for Bhopal and sought the Supreme Court’s permission to publish it for public claims, objections and suggestions, according to media reports.
The Supreme Court has directed the government to place the relevant file before it before the draft is released. The final master plan will also require the court’s approval before it can be notified.
The government reportedly informed the court that Bhopal’s previous master plan had not been revised since 1995 and its validity ended in 2005.
The court made it clear that the proposed plan would not protect existing violations. Until the new plan comes into force, action will continue under the existing rules.
If approved for publication, the draft will be open to claims and objections for 30 days. Hearings on the objections could take up to 90 days, followed by further administrative processing.
The process could take around four months if expedited and about six months under the normal procedure, according to media reports.
The hearing also covered sealing of commercial establishments operating in residential areas. The court questioned the effectiveness of sealing premises during the day if commercial activity resumes at night.
The court reportedly stressed that enforcement should focus on major land-use violations rather than unnecessarily affecting small traders. Existing unauthorised construction or commercial use will not automatically become legal under the new master plan.
