Journalism of Courage
The cantonment boards discussed it throught the year,but as the year nears an end there has been no progress. Not only have people raised unauthorised constructions,but leases of large number of prime plots in both Pune and Khadki cantonments have reportedly not been renewed for years together.
Its own survey conducted in October showed that in the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) area not only are showrooms run from basements of buildings,but even the space reserved for parking and residential property was used to run such businesses like grocery shops. Not only this as many as 190 leases have expired in the two cantonments of Pune and Khadki.
Officials give a number of reasons for delay in lease renewals including a one that people don’t come forward to renew their leases. PCB officials say that notices couldn’t be issued to people who have not renewed leases as the land section of the board is facing a manpower crunch.
The year that was…
Owing to shortage of funds,the Dehuroad Cantonment Board (DCB) has not be able to construct any new infrastructure projects. The only major work which the DCB approved was the repair of nearly one-third of total road length under its area.
For the repair work of nearly 13-km road stretch,the board approved Rs 1.5 crore and the proposal was cleared in the cantonment board meeting on October 21. Besides that the Pune cantonment board has been clearing the repair of drainage system in the monthly board meetings.
AND that wasnt…
*The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) proposal to construct a sports complex at Golibar Maidan has been pending for nearly two decades. The Rs 22-crore project was not cleared by the Principal Director Defence Estates earlier this year which the cantonment board had planned on build-operate and transfer (BOT) mode. The Defence Estate Office (DEO) objected to the proposal on the ground that it will not allow the creation of third party interest. The objections came even as the PCB has been flaunting the project as state of art. The sports complex was supposed to have a 1,000-metre athletic track for practising sprint race,a spacious football ground for the soccer lovers,spectators stadium and a large commercial complex.
*The Pune Cantonment board (PCB) members have been pressing for the revision of floor space index (FSI) which is limited at 1 within the cantonment area. The cantonment board members took up the issue many times in the board meeting and also brought the matter to the notice of the Director General (DG) Defence Estates but there has been no progress over it in the last one year.
Cantonment members say that since there were restrictions on the FSI,people who are residing in old buildings have not been able to repair them due to the FSI restrictions. In the rainy season things become more difficult after damages to old buildings as people are not able to repair them.
*The proposal for the construction of a bus depot at Khadki bazaar has been pending for the last over 2-years. The depot that was to come up at an investment of Rs 7 crore didnt get clearance from the Southern Command. Part of the bus depot plan was to create the facility for parking and the commercial complex.
