The Times of India           06.12.2010

PMC’s lease extension proposal faces opposition

PUNE: Citizens and civic organisations have opposed the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) proposed move to extend the duration of the lease period from the current 30 years to 99 years. Six years after it became the first civic body in the state to have a land lease policy, the PMC now wants to extend the duration of the lease period from the current 30 years to 99 years. The policy was ratified by the Bombay high court.

The PMC has invited objections and suggestions from citizens to the proposed changes. “About 6,000 people have submitted their suggestions on the proposal. The PMC should not give away its properties for 99 years. They should use its assets for generating revenue and use the same for development of projects,” said Vivek Velankar of Sajag Nagrik Manch.

“This move is intended to benefit a few people and we oppose these changes in the policy,” said Vijay Kumbhar of Surajya Sangharsh Samiti. At present, the civic land lease policy bans the PMC from selling its properties, but allows it to lease the property for 30 years. The PMC has leased out many of its properties, including open spaces.

Activists allege that most properties have been leased out to organisations and people with connections to corporators and politicians. In 2003, Kumbhar had approached the high court which had ordered that civic properties be leased only through a tendering system.

The civic body owns about 3,500 properties reserved for hospitals, community halls, libraries, schools and other amenities. Many properties have been leased out for various purposes, but there is no system in place to check whether the properties are being used for the purposes they have been leased out for. The PMC has not recovered rent from hundreds of properties for several years.