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.”