Background of the Act

      The Bombay Town Planning Act, 1915, first came into existence in the then Bombay Province in the year 1915. At that time, due to the need of providing public facilities such as water, roads, electricity, etc. for Mumbai, Pune, and Thane, the Act was enacted and according to its provisions, it was possible to develop a part of the city through Town Planning Schemes. But development under this law was not mandatory but voluntary. After independence, the industrial revolution started in the country and in that respect, new cities were developed. Development started with the help of five-year plans in the country and in view of that, the concept of planned development of new cities came into existence. Thus in 1954, the provisions for the preparation of Development Plan were included in the Act and in accordance with this provision, it has become mandatory for the Planning Authority to prepare the Development Plan for the areas under their jurisdiction.

       But with time, development started happening outside the city limits and as there was no provision to control the development on the fringes, these areas witnessed uncontrolled development. To curb the same, the concept of comprehensive development of urban and rural areas came forward. In the year 1960 Maharashtra State came into existence. In the year 1966, the provisions, for preparation of Regional Plans and, for new towns were incorporated in the Act. The same Act is in force today, knows as the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966.

      In the period from 1914 to 1962, the name of this department was ‘Consulting Surveyor to Government’. ‘Directorate of town planning and valuation’ has been in existence since 1962 and the head office of the Directorate is at Central Building, Pune.

Objects of the Maharashtra Regional and Town planning Act, 1966

• To make provisions for planning the development and use of land in the Regions;
• To make better provisions for preparation of Development Plans with a view to ensuring that the Town Planning Schemes are made in a proper manner and their execution made effectively;
• Creation of New Towns by Development Authorities;
• To make Town Planning Schemes and control the development in the developing area through Area Development Authority.
• To make provisions for compulsory acquisition of land required for public purposes;
• For the purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.