PMC to acquire DP road

PUNE, May 25: Pune Municipal Commissioner Rajiv Agarwal today said that the civic administration would soon initiate the process to acquire ...

PUNE, May 25: Pune Municipal Commissioner Rajiv Agarwal today said that the civic administration would soon initiate the process to acquire the 80 feet wide Development Plan DP Road passing through the Bharti Vidyapeeth premises at Dhankawdi.

The vidyapeeth authorities would be directed to remove the controversial notice board stating that the road was a 8220;private property,8221; denying access to citizens from adjoining localities to the sole approach road, the civic chief said at the general body meeting this afternoon.

The huge reinforced cement concrete RCC arch near the DP Road-Satara Road intersection was constructed by the vidyapeeth without the permission of the PMC, Agarwal said.

He, however, did not elaborate as to whether or not the arch would be pulled down by the PMC.

8220;We will first initiate an action under section 224 of the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act to acquire the road,8221; he said.

The Indian Express had published a news report on May 21, bringing to the notice of the administration that the under construction subway, linking the Vidyapeeth Road to Satara Road, would become the sole property of the Bharti Vidyapeeth if the common citizens were denied access to the DP Road.

The issue was subsequently raised at the civic general body meeting by BJP corporator Ujwal Keskar who sought to know how can the 1.5 lakh residents in the vicinity could be denied access to a DP Road and how an RCC arch could be permitted on a DP Road.

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Agarwal today said that the subway was being constructed on the advise of the Pune traffic police who had stressed the need for a safer traffic link at the busy Pune-Satara Highway-DP Road intersection.

8220;It is true that the DP Road was constructed by the vidyapeeth authorities. But, the PMC had imposed a condition that it should be kept open to common citizens,8221; Agarwal said adding 8220;The vidyapeeth authorities would be asked to remove the notice board. People can make use of the road from today itself.8221;