Action order puts PCMC chief in a fix

The state environment department has directed Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner to take action against officials who did not seek prior environmental clearance before starting work on slum rehabilitation projects and EWS (economically weaker section) housing project. The order seeks action within a month. This has put PCMC chief in a spot as he is expected to take action against his seniors who cleared the projects.

Valsa Nair Singh,secretary,environment department,in the order has asked the PCMC chief to take action against “officer or officers who committed an offence of not obtaining prior environmental clearance before initiating construction and are liable to be proceeded against and punished according to their service rules.”

The order has come on a complaint by Shiv Sena corporator Seema Savle. Savle stated that PCMC and PCNTDA had not sought environmental clearance for projects at Ajantha Nagar,Akurdi,Sector 12,Chikhli,at Mohannagar,at Pimpri Camp,at Sector 22 in Nigdi,at Vetalnagar,Chinchwad and at Vithal Nagar.

When contacted,Municipal Commissniner Asheesh Sharma said,“I had given my replies. I will again reply to the directives.” Sharma,however,said the projects were cleared by the Central and the state governments. “Since the governments cleared the projects,we think they had taken environmental clearance. We will present this side before the department,” he said.