Blame game over zoning along Vishwamitri begins

VADODARA: A blame game has started over the conversion of land on the banks of the Vishwamitri river from a restricted zone to residential zone one (R1), where low-rise houses can be constructed. The stretch of the river in Sama, which was one of the worst affected areas during the recent floods, has come under the scanner.
The row raised its head after BJP heavyweight councillor Parakramsinh Jadeja, who has a high land holding in Sama area, made allegations against Congress member Sandip Patel.Jadeja alleged that Patel's residence was in a restricted zone along the river. Jadeja made the allegations in response to questions about encroachments along the river near his bungalow. After a row over these encroachments, Jadeja razed them.
Patel dug up documents for land in the area and alleged that BJP members, including Jadeja and Sayajigunj MLA Keyur Rokadiya, and others owned patches on this stretch of the river. Addressing the media, he alleged that Jadeja owned or was a partner in three or four lakh square feet of land around the river. According to Patel, the land of BJP members had been converted from restricted to R1 zone.
Patel claimed Rokadiya also owned such a plot near Jadeja's land. He also alleged that the zone was converted when Rokadiya was Vadodara mayor. The allegations were, however, blunted when Rokadiya came up with documents in the evening revealing that the zone conversion was done in 2017. He was not mayor at that time and not even when he bought the land in 2019.
According to Rokadiya, Patel's claims were rubbish. "Neither conversion of the land from agriculture to non-agriculture nor from restricted to R1 zone took place after I bought the land. It was already plotted land when I bought it. I sold it in 2021," he said.
Patel said his house had existed on the river bank since 1971 and had a construction of 5,000 square feet. "Old VMC maps also show it. I gave land without compensation to VMC for the Sama bridge approach road. It was also decided at that time that since VMC did not have money, it was promised that my land would also be converted to R1 zone," Patel said.
Patel had to move the court again when the order was not implemented. "On Aug 23, the commissioner wrote to me that the needful would be done, but I must withdrew the cases against VMC," he told the media.