The Indian Express   14.08.2012

Illegal structures in dist to be pulled down from September

The district administration is all set to initiate action against illegal structures from September. Officials said even as the state government has sanctioned special force for the anti-encroachment drive, the force is yet to come into effect. “Since the government has sanctioned special force for the drive, we are hoping for an intimation on the same soon,’’ said a senior district official.

An action plan has been drawn for Wagholi, Ambegaon, Uttamnagar and other fringe areas where 1,339 illegal structures have been identified by Haveli Sub Divisional Officer Avinash Hadgal.

Pune district administration has already listed 8,853 illegal structures in 13 talukas with Maval and Haveli topping the list. Of these, 3,634 have been issued notices. Only two have been regularised.

The district administration has lined up a three-pronged approach to identify structures that are occupied, that can be regularised and those which cannot be regularised.There has been 120 per cent increase in illegal constructions in the district after the Regional Plan of 1997 in which 1.13 lakh illegal structures were listed in the district.

At present, the district collectorate estimates around 2.5 lakh illegal structures in the district with large-scale growth in the fringe areas.In the recent Assembly session, a three-member committee has been formed under the principal secretary revenue, urban development department (UDD) and rural development department to review illegal constructions in Pune, Nashik and Nagpur. Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said an action plan for these cities will be prepared with the help of district collectors.

MLA Ashok Pawar from Shirur who raised the issue in the Assembly said that besides the pulling down the structures, permissions for such constructions should be decentralised and there should be thorough monitoring before giving clearances.