The Financial Express  09.12.2010

The Pune Municipal Corporation will undertake a time-bound drive, with the help of police, to bring down the unauthorised religious structures encroaching on roads, gardens, hills and plots reserved for civic amenities in the city. The action against such structures, numbering a staggering 943, follows a government resolution issued in October.

Early this year, the Supreme Court had directed the state government to initiate action against such structures. A committee, which is headed by the Municipal Commissioner and has police commissioner and the district collector as members, met on Tuesday to chalk out a plan on implementation of the Supreme Court directive and government resolution. The PMC had carried out a survey in February to ascertain the unauthorised religious structures. The 943 illegal structures include 38 in the jurisdiction of Pune rural police, 461 in zone one, 223 in zone two, 70 in zone three and 151 in zone four....

“A priority list for action has been prepared for the drive and the focus will be on removing 532 strucutres that exist on city roads and footpaths,” said Ramesh Shelar, incharge of anti-encroachment department, PMC.

“Around 40 unauthorised religious structures will be removed this month,” he said, adding that the action would be decided every month depending on the availability of the police force....

The Times of India    09.12.2010

PCMC to conduct anti-encroachment drive in Pimpri camp

PUNE: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will conduct an anti-encroachment drive to widen the lanes in the congested Pimpri camp area from December 10. The drive comes in the wake of a fire a fortnight ago in Pimpri market area when the PCMC's fire engines could not reach the spot due to encroachments that have narrowed the roads. The fire brigade had to station the fire engine on the approach road of the Indira Gandhi flyover and spray water on the house from a distance.

Dilip Gawde, assistant commissioner and Zone B officer said, "There are 32 lanes in Pimpri camp. The PCMC had conducted widening of four lanes and the riverside road last year. It also widened the road from Shagun chowk to Deluxe chowk in the area. Around 200 encroachments were removed." He said that in the second phase of the drive, starting from Friday, lane numbers 12, 20 and 28 will be widened to 20 to 30 feet.

"The compound wall of the Jhulelal temple along the Pavana river will be demolished. Also, around 100 encroachments along the three lanes have to be demolished. The town planning department has marked properties to show the portions that have to be demolished. The affected local residents have been given time till December 9 to remove the portions on their own," he said. He said that last year too the local residents had removed most of the encroachments on their own.