Renaming of cities jurisdiction of Centre: Maharashtra CM

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said renaming of cities in the jurisdiction of the Centre and not State governments. Thackeray made the Statement in the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, against the backdrop of the issue of renaming Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar. The Shiv Sena, which has been a votary of the name change, is facing opposition from its ally Congress in Maharashtra. The opposition BJP in the State has been attacking the Uddhav Thackeray-led party, claiming it was forsaking its old demands just to remain in power.

The civic polls in Aurangabad are due this year. In a written reply to Yogesh Sagar (BJP)in the Assembly on Tuesday, Thackeray said "renaming of cities is the jurisdiction of the Centre and not State governments". He said a detailed proposal for renaming Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar was received from the divisional commissioner on March 4, 2020. Considering the legal background of the case, the opinion of the law and judiciary department is being sought, he said. "After all the approvals are taken, the proposal of the Aurangabad divisional commissioner will be sent to the Centre," the CM said. He said the revenue, forest and urban development departments had issued a notification for renaming Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar on November 9, 1995.

The notification was challenged by one Mohammed Mushtaq Ahmed in the Bombay High Court's Aurangabad Bench. The petitions were quashed by the High Court, he said. On January 17, 1996, the Supreme Court ordered a status quo, Thackeray said in his written reply. As per the decision of the State Cabinet on June 26, 2001, the notification of November 9, 1995 was scrapped by the revenue/forest departments on September 6, 2001, and by the urban development department on October 10 2001, he said.