The Indian Express                          05.04.2013

Rs 24 lakh spent on road construction, but PCMC yet to acquire land

First-time woman corporator exposes civic panel's 'wrongdoings'

A first-time woman corporator has exposed what Shiv Sena claims to be a Rs 24-lakh 'land scam' in Charholi area of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.

When Sena corporator Asha Shendge at a standing committee meeting held on Wednesday sought the details of a "sketchy" item — construction of the Rs 24 lakh road in Charholi area — on the committee agenda, she was startled to find out that PCMC had spent money on a road that did not belong to the civic body.

"The civic body has spent Rs 24 lakh on construction of the road. When I asked civic officials whether the land on which the road was constructed was in possession of the civic body, the officials said it was yet to be acquired. If the land is not in possession of the civic body, why did PCMC construct a road on it?" Shendge asked.

She was told that the road was constructed on the request of a local corporator.

Alleging that it was a land scam and many more scams would tumble out of PCMC closet, the Shiv Sena has urged the Municipal Commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi to inquire into the matter. "I have written to the commissioner to inquire how a land that was not in possession of the civic body has seen development of a road," she said.

A teacher by profession, Shendge who was elected from Kasarwadi ward in the last election, also exposed the way proposals are placed on the standing committee agenda and sanctioned. "I noticed an item on the agenda where Rs 14 lakh had been sanctioned for setting up a stage for committee functions. When I sought details, the officials had no answer. I have decided to write to the commissioner and seek probe into the matter," he said.