Indain Express 22.12.2009
Corporators breathe fire as PCMC approves City Centre plan
Though the PCMC administration’s plan for construction of a “City Centre” at Chinchwad was approved by corporators with an overwhelming majority in the civic general body meeting today, four corporators — two from the Shiv Sena — have strongly opposed it. Sena corporators, Seema Savle and Madhukar Babar, have threatened to go to court if the plan is not withdrawn.
In Monday’s general body meeting, out of the 105 corporators 101 expressed support, some of them in writing, in favour of the plan while four of them including independent corporator Maruti Bhapkar and BJP’s Bheema Bobde voted against the plan. A voting was conducted in the GB meeting, where 60 corporators voted in favour and four against the administration’s proposal.
Savle alleged the PCMC administration was perpetuating a fraud on citizens by handing over a prime land for a pittance. The 36-acre land where the City Centre has been planned is worth over Rs 1,000 crore. “PCMC wants to hand over the land to the developer for Rs 80 crore,” she said. Savle said reservation for a velodrome, park and other public utilities were changed by the PCMC for the “City Centre.”
Bhapkar said the plan should be withdrawn as it was not in favour of the industrial town. “Instead of building a commercial compex and hotels, it would make sense if the PCMC sets up public utilities which are much required considering the rapid growth of the township,” he said while severely criticising the Asheesh Sharma-led administration bid to hand over the prime piece of land on a 99-year lease to the private developer. Bhapkar said the deal smacks of a scandal as there was no clarity on rates and conditions. “There is wide disparity between the current market rates and the rates at which the land has been handed over to the builder. It is difficult to understand the real purpose behind the deal,” he said. “We also don’t understand the purpose of leasing a land to a developer who is again supposed to sublease the land,” he said. Savle said the way the administration was rushing through the proposal clearly indicates there were many things happening behind the scenes. “I feel a scandal worth Rs 3,000 crore was brewing,” she alleged. After hearing the arguments from the angry corporators, Mayor Yogesh Behl — on behalf of the administration — said the City Centre plan was for the benefit of the citizens as well as the civic administration. “The PCMC is facing severe cash crunch. By giving the land on public private partnership not only will the town benefit, but even civic body will get funds,” he said. The mayor handed over the charge of the City Centre to the standing committee instead of the administration.
