The Indian Express  02.08.2012

‘Demolition man’ at work, ‘war zone’ expected at Pimpri-Chinchwad

While PCMC will start razing 500 illegal structures from Monday, PCNTDA will bring down 350, starting today

With another civic demolition drive to get under way from Monday, Pimpri-Chinchwad will resemble what civic acivists and officials describe as a ‘war zone’. The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has as many as 500 illegal structures on its radar and officials have promised to wield the hammer on all of them.

Meanwhile, the Pimpri-Chinchwad New Township Development Authority (PCNTDA), better known as Pradhikaran is targeting 350 unauthorised structures. In the last one month or so, PCMC had razed a few structures in Kalewadi and Chinchwad while Pradhikaran demolished around 400 structures.

The PCNTDA, which has been on mission clean-up for the past few months, will start another round of its demolition mission on Thursday. “Our demolition drive is carried out in the last week of every month. However, as we did not get adequate police security, we postponed it. The police have promised us adequate bandobast from Thursday. So, we will start the week-long drive this Thursday,” said PCNTDA CEO Yogesh Mhase. PCNTDA has around 700 structures on its hit list.

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Dr Shrikar Pardeshi said the process for demolition of illegal structures has been set in motion. “The action will begin on Monday,” he said. Civic officials said the PCMC actually wanted to begin the drive last Monday after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar gave his nod for razing unauthorised structures and those that have been constructed on reserved plots and river beds. However, as the police refused security this week, the drive was postponed.

The PCMC will demolish structures that sprang up after March 31 this year. The decision on illegal structures that came up before this date is pending with the state government, said Pardeshi.

Civic officials said the state is considering whether the structures that came up before March 31, 2012 should be regularised by imposing penalties. “Until the final decision is taken, we will not act against such buildings,” the civic chief said.

Over a lakh illegal structures had come up till March 31, 2012. The issue came to fore after a resident of Mohannagar moved the Bombay High Court. The court directed the PCMC to demolish the structures. However, the PCMC first got a year’s extension from the HC and the government is now contemplating whether to demolish them or regularise them.

Meanwhile, the drive being launched by Pardeshi is being likened to the one undertaken by Dilip Band eight years ago during his tenure.

Band had demolished as many as 3,000 structures, paving the way for widening of the Pune-Mumbai and Pune-Nashik highways. Band had faced severe opposition to the drive. The issue was raised in the Assembly and a resolution was also passed in the civic general body meeting for his ouster. Band had received threats, too.

“However, Pawar stood by him and Band went ahead with the drive. The outcome is for all to see. Pimpri-Chinchwad today has wide roads, fewer signals, less traffic jams. The condition of roads here is better than in Pune,” said former Congress corporator Babu Nair.

Pardeshi, too, has received threat to his life through an unsigned letter. Three NCP MLAs — Laxman Jagtap, Vilas Lande and Anna Bansode — staged a protest outside the Assembly during the recent session. On Tuesday, the standing committee criticised the commissioner, saying Pardeshi was spending his energy on illegal constructions and not paying attention to development works.

However, a determined Pardeshi has sent out a strong message. “Threats are part of my profession. They don’t bother me. I will carry out the job at hand without fear,” he told Newsline. Band has also praised Pardeshi calling him a tough officer. Like Band, Pardeshi, too, has earned the sobriquet of the ‘Demolition Man’.

Civic officials said the PCMC demolition drive would be conducted in all divisional wards — A, B, C and D. Officials said PCMC has hired equipment from private firms and appointed private contractors for the drive.

Fate of 26,000 structures hangs in the balanace

While PCMC will target 500 illegal structures, confusion prevails on the 26,000 illegal strucures on land reserved for civic amenities. These structures have come up over the last 20 years on 251 reserved plots as well as the river bed. The information came to light after Shiv Sena corporator Shrirang Barne sought details from the PCMC administration.

Municipal Commissioner Dr Shrikar Pardeshi said they were trying to verify the status of these structures. “We will have to verify whether they came up before or after the development plan was approved. Action will be taken simultaneously,” he said.

 Civic officials said after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar directed that all structures that came up on reserved plots be demolished, the civic body has found itself in a quandary. City engineer Mahavir Kamble refused to comment.