The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Friday carried out a demolition drive and brought down 11 multi-storied residential buildings in the Ambegaon Budruk area, comprising approximately 500 flats. The action was carried out near Sinhagad College in Survey No. 1, where civic authorities had served notices in 2021 during the construction phase, although the builders did not act at that time.
After two years, the PMC finally took action by issuing notices this year in a phased manner. The PMC deployed large earth-moving machines to demolish the unauthorised structures of approximately 45,050 square feet.
Hemant More, executive engineer of the PMC Construction Department said, “The civic body had taken action by serving a notice to the perpetrators in 2021. This year, notices were issued again in April. Those who claimed not to get the notice were also given fresh notice a few days ago and after that, we initiated the action.”
The demolition of these structures has left numerous citizens who had purchased homes in these buildings homeless. Questions are also being raised about the municipal corporation’s inaction during the critical two-year period.
Former corporator Arvind Shinde expressed dissatisfaction with the municipal corporation’s handling of the situation. He has lodged a complaint with commissioner Vikram Kumar, highlighting the failure to take timely action by junior engineers who had issued notices in 2021 but failed to follow through.
{{/usCountry}}Former corporator Arvind Shinde expressed dissatisfaction with the municipal corporation’s handling of the situation. He has lodged a complaint with commissioner Vikram Kumar, highlighting the failure to take timely action by junior engineers who had issued notices in 2021 but failed to follow through.
{{/usCountry}}Shinde said,” I have demanded a thorough inquiry and the filing of cases against the responsible junior engineers under Section 6 of the MRTP Act, 1964.”