PMC Corporators Demand Immediate DP for 23 Merged Areas

Pune: Two days after the state government issued a notification approving the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) as the planning authority for 23 merged areas, newly elected corporators on Friday grilled the administration on the lack of civic amenities in these pockets.

They further raised a demand during the general body (GB) meeting to prepare the draft development plan (DP) for these areas without delay. The corporators also urged the PMC to hold a meeting of corporators from merged areas to discuss the problems residents have long been facing despite coming under the civic body. The special GB on Friday was held for the appointment of members to various committees, including the standing committee.

Soon after the proceedings began, NCP's senior corporator Baburao Chandere raised the issues of the 23 merged areas. He appreciated the efforts put in by PMC over the last few years to obtain planning authority status, but emphasized that the administration should no longer delay further steps to provide relief to citizens facing numerous problems.

Citizens from merged areas have been dealing with many challenges in obtaining basic amenities. Despite being part of PMC for the last five years, they have repeatedly pointed out that development works in their area are slow-paced. Major challenges highlighted include inadequate water supply, weak road networks, poor planning for daily garbage management, and haphazard development projects. The state government had earlier stayed the recovery of property tax from merged areas after residents strongly objected to this levy collection in the absence of proper civic services.

Chandere said, 'Before the merger of 23 areas, 11 areas were merged in PMC. But the drafting of the GB was delayed. Such a delay should not happen for 23 merged areas. The government's notification gave powers to PMC to issue building permissions and collect the revenue. The administration also needs to work towards providing civic amenities in these areas and identify reservations for schools, gardens, open areas, crematoriums, etc.'

While speaking to the media after the GB, NCP's leader in PMC, Nilesh Nikam, stated that the administration needed to address issues related to property tax collection in merged areas. He noted that there were flaws in property tax collection that required rectification. Ajit Satav, a resident of Manjari, commented on the development and expressed hope for concrete solutions.

Although PMC has been extending basic amenities in merged areas, the powers to issue building permissions and sanction plans were previously held by the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA). The state government's recent notification approved PMC as the planning authority moving forward.

Apart from issues concerning merged areas, the corporators also demanded an extension of the property tax amnesty scheme for defaulters by one month. Names for various committees were announced during the GB. For the standing committee, the BJP appointed senior corporators, including Shrinath Bhimale, Kalinda Punde, Rupali Dhadve, and Vishal Dhanawade. NCP appointed Amol Balwadkar, former mayor Vaishali Bankar, and Suhas Tingre, while Congress recommended the name of former mayor Prashant Jagtap. Bhimale is likely to be elected as the standing committee's chairman.

Other committees appointed included city improvement, law, women and child development, sports, and names committees. City mayor Manjusha Nagpure also addressed the issue of illegal hoardings and banners. She instructed the civic administration to act against illegal hoardings and banners that dot the city's skyline. Many such banners have been put up by supporters of newly elected corporators to congratulate them. Nagpure urged corporators and their supporters to avoid defacing the city with illegal banners and hoardings.

In a concerning incident, a resident from PMC areas who came to the headquarters on Friday to discuss a property tax dispute had an argument with civic staff. During the row, he pulled out a revolver and threatened to end his life. Security guards and staff pacified him, and a police complaint will be filed. PMC commissioner Naval Kishore Ram stated that security arrangements at the PMC office would be tightened following the incident, with thorough scrutiny before citizens enter the head office.