No green signal for 10 flyovers in city

According to sources,the major problem in Pune is the absence of an umbrella body that will ensure the overall development of the region and the delay in formation of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) is proving costly.

A senior bureaucrat said the failure of speeding up the formation of PMRDA is the main reason for Pune lagging behind cities like Mumbai in terms of infrastructure development; the inordinate delay in forming an SPV to raise funds for various projects has also hampered the development.

“The PMRDA should have been formed long ago but there has been both political and bureaucratic delays. The state cabinet had in February approved an amendment in the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning (MRTP) Act to facilitate its formation. The move was ratified by the state legislature but was not cleared by the Upper House. Even after the urban development department presented a note on the amendment of the MRTP Act,the PMRDA could not take off,” he said.

Through the SPV,it was proposed that the PMC form an undertaking company called the Pune Municipal Infrastructure Development Corporation. This was approved by the PMC general body and forwarded to the state government for approval early this year. The civic body had initiated efforts to form the SPV to raise Rs 24,000 crore. “Despite repeated requests,the state government did not take any initiative,” said a senior PMC officer.

However,state Urban Development Department (UDD-II) secretary Manu Kumar Srivastav said the government was taking time to examine the SPV proposed by the PMC. Talking to The Indian Express,he said there was some delay in giving a go ahead as the officers were examining the pros and cons of such a decision.

Pune Divisional Commissioner Dilip Band admitted the absence of PMRDA was a drawback. “It could help boost many infrastructure projects with both municipal corporation heads as members,” he said.

The 10 proposed flyovers are: Simla Office junction to Sancheti,Nal stop,Yerwada (Parnakuti),SNDT to Balbharati,Dhairi junction on Sinhagad Road,Saswad junction on Hadapsar Road,Railway overbridges — at Ghorpadi,Handewandi,Junna Bazar and Engineering College.