Pimpri-Chinchwad flat scheme for slum-dwellers in trouble

Tehsildar Udaysinh Bhosale said the high court had ordered the collectorate to get boundaries of local bodies demarcated. “Accordingly,we asked the PCMC,PCNTDA and the MIDC to demarcate the boundaries. We have marked the maps accordingly. Now we will submit the report to the high court,” he said.

When contacted,Municipal Commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi also said that after demarcation of the boundaries,the project has come within the 2000-metre limits of the ammunition depot. “The project was started when the boundaries were not demarcated. Had the boundaries been demarcated earlier,we would not have started the project in that location,” he said. He added that since the issue was with the high court,PCMC will wait for its verdict before going ahead with the project.

According to political leaders,the battle is increasingly becoming tough. Shiv Sena leader Sarang Kamtekar and coporator Seema Savle,who first raised the issue,are of the opinion that the defence authorities have also refused to give the no objection certificate. “The court had asked the defence (authorities) if they plan to reduce the boundaries. They had replied in the negative,” said Kamtekar.

Besides,the court has already given a stay on the project. The stay was given in March 2012. Kamtekar said now that all the doors have been shut,the project is in big trouble. “PCMC has no option but the stop the project. But the big question is who will be responsible for the Rs 100 crore that have been spent on the project so far ? Somebody has to take the blame. The PCMC clearly did not apply its mind before starting the project,” said Kamtekar.

Both Kamtekar and Salve had met Union minister Kumari Selja and submitted the “illegality” of the project when she had come to inaugurate the project two years back.