Phugewadi structures flattened,Sharma admn turns gaze all around

Embarrassed by the Bombay High Court directives asking it to demolish a three-storeyed building and three chawls that had come up on a land reserved for school...

Embarrassed by the Bombay High Court directives asking it to demolish a three-storeyed building and three chawls that had come up on a land reserved for school,the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation today move swiftly to flatten the illegal structures amidst tight police cover. Following the high court directives,which made the PCMC officers run for cover,the Asheesh Sharma-led civic administration has now decided to conduct a survey in the twin township to locate such illegal structures,on which till date,the PCMC had turned a complete blind eye.

The illegal structures on 11 gunthas of land in Phugewadi belonged to local NCP corporator Surdas Gaikwad. The court directives had come following a writ petition filed by Padmini Mohite,a local political leader,in September last year. In December,the high court had ruled that the structures were illegal and should be demolished. Gaikwad had then moved the Supreme Court which said that other claimant to the land should also be heard. After hearing the other claimants,the high court last month asked PCMC to demolish the structures. The PCMC however sought time due to elections and then subsequently gave time to the 84 tenants to move out. Its the victory of justice system prevalent in this county, exults Mohite.

Mohite said even she did not know that the land had been reserved for a school in the PCMC development plan. Only after I moved an RTI application,it became clear that the structures had come on a land reserved for a school, she said. All this was happening since 1997,yet the PCMC administration did little to stop the illegal structures from coming up, said Mohite.

And it is this blind eye to illegal structures in the city that has put the PCMC commissioner’s office,city engineers office,town planning department and building permission department under the scanner. Congress leader Shrirang Barne says there are several structures like these which have come on reserved land. Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma said only the survey will reveal the number of illegal structures on reserved land. Though the high court verdict was only for Phugewadi structure,we will now survey all the land as per the development plans. If we find any illegal structures,they will demolished, Sharma said. Civic activists said illegal structures are mushrooming in Pimpri-Chinchwad because PCMC refuses to act when the structures are being constructed. Pimpri-Chinchwad is a small city. PCMC officers are always moving around the town. They see structures coming up,but prefer to shut their eyes, says activist Shridhar Chalkha.

Since the high court order has come in relation to one structure the PCMC,says Chalkha,now has a good opportunity to bring down other such illegal structures. If the PCMC doesnt act,it will mean that the civic administration is trying to protect such structures. The high court order should serve as a wake up for the civic body, says Chalkha.

Now,anti-encroachment zones,one police station and four police chowkies on the cards

Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma said the PCMC will soon set up anti-encroachment zones to keep a check on illegal structures. The zones will be set up as per the directives of the state government. There will be designated officers appointed for the task. The officers will have to keep watch on the illegal structures and alert the civic administration for necessary action, Sharma said. He also said as per the government directives,a police station and four police chowkies will soon be set up. The police station and police chowkies will function under the civic body, the civic chief said.

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