The Indian Express                 29.10.2013

300 down in 2 yrs, PMC now targets 600 more

After removing around 300 unauthorised religious structures at public places under its jurisdiction, the Pune Municipal Corporation has decided to act against the remaining 600 of them in phases.

"PMC has been taking action against unauthorised religious structures with the help of police. However, the action is being taken after convincing the local leaders to avoid any law and order problem," said Madhav Jagtap, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, in-charge of the anti-encroachment department.

He claimed that the civic administration had removed 300 religious structures in the last two years. "We have been sending reports to the state government on a regular basis as an affidavit has to be filed in the Supreme Court on the action taken against unauthorised religious structures," Jagtap said.

Local leaders, both political and religious, are approached by the civic administration to convince them about the need to remove the unauthorised religious structures that cause problems in infrastructure projects. Jagtap said: "It is only after convincing the local leaders that the civic administration goes ahead with removing or shifting the religious structures that block roads, footpath or any other civic infrastructure project."

The state government had issued a resolution in October 2011 after the Supreme Court's directions to all state governments to initiate action against unauthorised religious structures. In PMC areas, the unauthorised religious structures exist on roads, footpaths, gardens, hills and plots reserved for civic amenities.

Accordingly, a committee headed by the municipal commissioner and with the police commissioner and the district collector as members, was formed to plan on implementation of the Supreme Court directive and the government resolution.

The PMC had carried out a survey in February 2011 to list the unauthorised religious structures and identified 943 of them, including 38 under the jurisdiction of the Pune rural police, 461 in Zone 1, 223 in Zone 2, 70 in Zone 3 and 151 in Zone 4. Most of these are small in size but eat into road and footpath space.

The Indian Express                 29.10.2013

In Pimpri, PCMC launches fresh survey to identify structures

The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has finally begun identifying illegal religious structures that have mushroomed across the industrial town. The identification of the structures is being undertaken by the PCMC following a recent directive of the Bombay High Court, which asked the civic body to act against all unauthorised structures.

Municipal Commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi Monday said they had launched a fresh survey to identify all the illegal structures constructed before March 31, 2012. "In the present drive, we will identify the illegal religious structures that have come up in different parts of the town," he said.

"There has been a confusion regarding the number of illegal structures that existed before March 31, 2012. Though PCMC has submitted before the High Court that 66,000 structures are illegal, the figure actually is between 20-25,000. Due to the confusion, PCMC has launched a fresh survey to identify the structures and carry out a panchanama," said an officials.

Civic activists said illegal religious structures belonging to different communities had mushroomed on public roads, close to rivers violating blue line norms and on amenity spaces. They are also found hampering development projects or creating traffic problems.

"These illegal religious structures are growing by the day. They get illegal water supply and power supply. Both PCMC and MSEDCL have been turning a blind eye towards them," said activist Sachin Godambe, adding that the municipal commissioner should first act against civic officials who have allowed these illegal religious structures to come up in their area. "Since the new civic law says officials should be held responsible for illegal structures, failing which they can be sentenced to three months in jail, PCMC should first act against them," said activist Shridhar Chalkha.

He said the PCMC has clearly violated the Supreme Court directive on removing illegal religious structures. "Two years back, the Supreme Court had directed the state government to ensure that local self-government bodies do not have illegal religious structures in their jurisdiction. Shrikar Pardeshi is so stickler for rules and regulations. How come his administration is found violating the norms?" Chalkha asked.

Civic officials said the religious structures had strong backing of politicians.

"Powerful politicians are lending full support to religious structures, which help them get votes," said an official.

Pardeshi, meanwhile, has said his administration would act against the illegal religious structures once they were identified.

According to official sources, illegal religious structures have come up in Ravet, Sangvi, Chinchwad, Kasarwadi, Gurav Pimpale and in fringe areas.