The Indian Express 23.08.2012
‘Maha morcha’ against demolition drive today
‘Maha alliance’ takes on municipal chief: civic administration to see if corporators participate in rally
Following the massive morcha organised by MNS president Raj Thackeray in Mumbai on Tuesday, the Maha alliance of Shiv Sena, BJP and RPI has planned a similar rally on Thursday in Pimpri-Chinchwad, but for a different reason. They are opposing the demolition drive undertaken by the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
The Manav Kamble-led Nagrik Haqq Suraksha Samiti will also participate in the morcha. The three parties and the samiti expect over 10,000 citizens who will be affected by the demolition drive to participate in the morcha.
The ‘maha morcha’, as it is being termed, will start from Chinchwad station around 11 am and culminate at the PCMC headquarters where Sena, BJP and RPI leaders will address the agitators demanding a halt to the demolition drive which, they argue, is aimed at making thousands of residents homeless at a time when they are adversely affected by rising fuel, foodgrain and property prices. Traffic is likely to be affected in Chinchwad and Pimpri areas, especially on the Pune-Mumbai highway in the afternoon.
The leaders of the ‘Maha morha’, including Shrirang Barne of the Shiv Sena, BJP city unit president Eknath Pawar, Babasaheb Dhumal, Maruti Bhapkar and Kamble — said they would go ahead with the morcha even if the police refuse to give them the permission or cancel the permission at the last minute. Barne said, “It will be a peaceful morcha undertaken by citizens. Many of them have been affected by the demolition drive and several are facing the prospect being rendered homeless. They have every right to voice their opposition in a democratic manner,” he said.
After initially refusing permission, the police on Tuesday decided to allow the Maha alliance to hold the morcha.
At a meeting with Depuy Commissioner of Police Shahaji Umap, the leaders of the three parties and the samiti assured them that the morcha would be peaceful. “We are undertaking the morcha demanding regularisation of structures constructed on one, two or three gunthas of land. We are trying to draw the attention of the state government to the fact that the common man would be hit hard if his house is demolished. We will not do anything to disturb law and order,” they told the police.
“Only after their promise did we give them permission for the morcha,” said Umap.
Meanwhile, municipal commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi and the civic administration plan to video-tape the morcha to see if any corporators participate in the morcha. The administration is contemplating action against such corporators under the BPMC Act.
However, Barne dared the administration to act against the corporators. “Let them take action... we will see what to do,” he said.
Pardeshi said mere participation would not amount to action against any corporator. “If he or she supports illegal constructions, then we will have to act as per the rules,” he added.
Calling the PCMC and police attitude Taliban-style, Barne said, “This is a democratic country and we have the right to undertake a peaceful morcha.” Barne said the Maha alliance was the true representative of the people of Pimpri-Chinchwad as the ruling NCP was out to wreak vengeance on the citizens. He said the opposition had time and again highlighted the issue of illegal constructions, but administration and the ruling NCP did nothing. “Now that people have settled in their homes, the NCP and civic administration want to displace them,” he said.
“We are demanding that only structures that are hindering development should be demolished. Those that have come up on land reserved for civic amenities should also be razed. But structures whose demolitions will serve no purpose should not be razed,” Kamble said.
Demolition as per HC order: Ajit Pawar
Contrary to high expectations that the meeting of leaders from Pimpri-Chinchwad with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Mumbai on Tuesday would put a halt to the demolition drive by the PCMC administration, the Pune Guardian Minister made it clear that illegal structures that had come up after March 31, 2012 would be demolished as per Bombay High Court directives.
Addressing a meeting of NCP leaders in which MLAs from Pimpri-Chinchwad, NCP leaders like Mayor Mohini Lande, Mangala Kadam, Jagdish Shetty and even former PCMC chiefs likes Dilip Band and Asheesh Sharma were present, Pawar made it clear that the drive by the Dr Shrikar Pardeshi-led PCMC administration will continue since the administration was doing what the HC has directed it to do. Former corporator Maruti Bhapkar, however, raised doubts on the interpretation of the HC order by Pawar and the NCP.
“As per my information and the information that PCMC has been giving out from time to time, the HC has directed that illegal structures that came up before March 31 be demolished. If there is confusion over the order, PCMC can always go back to the court for clear directives,” Bhapkar said, demanding that illegal extensions in residential areas are not demolished. “Raze constructions on reserved plots first,” he said.
In the meeting, Pawar said he was all in favour of regularising structures that came up before March 31, 2012 and would take up the issue with the state government.
“In fact, I am already holding a dialogue with senior officials to find ways to regularise the structures,” he said. In the past, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has also said that his government would consider regularisation of structures in Pimpri-Chinchwad like it was done in Ulhasnagar.
The meeting of NCP leaders with Pawar had generated a lot of interest, especially among citizens whose illegal structures are under threat.
It was widely believed that Pawar would ask the PCMC administration to halt the demolition in view of state and parliamentary elections coming up in 2014.
Three worried NCP leaders from Pimpri-Chinchwad, who have held demonstrations right outside the state Assembly, have already conveyed to the NCP seniors about repercussions the demolition could have on the party’s chances of retaining the three Assembly seats from Pimpri-Chinchwad.
Kadam, however, said the meeting was not a disappointment as claimed. “Ajit Pawar has said we should adhere to High Court directives. We can do little since the PCMC administration is doing what the High Court has asked it to do.”
