Journalism of Courage
Under fire for going slow on illegal constructions,the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) administration has decided to go all out on illegal constructions after the Ganesh festival.
Pressure has been building on the administration after 11 persons died due to the collapse of illegal constructions at Dhankwadi on Monday. The municipal commissioner had a meeting with police commissioner over getting police protection to carry out the demolition drive and there has been assurance of getting all support to PMC administration, said additional city engineer Vivek Kharwadkar.
He said the PMC has also decided to speed up the drive against illegal construction by using latest machines and techniques to pull down big structures. Going by the existing practice,the civic body would require at least six months for completing demolition drive against 2,500 structures on which notices were served.
The PMC would save time by using the latest techniques for pulling down illegal structures. We are also inviting private agencies to take up responsibility of providing latest techniques for the purpose, Kharwadkar said adding that earlier efforts to appoint private agencies for demolition of illegal buildings did not get good response.
The civic administration,however,claimed that it had taken action against 800 illegal structures but activist alleged that most of the action was against sheds and tents violating the front margin and parking area norms and not on concrete structures.
There is a possibility the PMC would rope in engineers posted in various departments to be part of the drive as the civic administration has kept it on the top of agenda,a civic officer added.
