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Citizens protest formation of Phursungi-Uruli Devachi municipal council
Villagers and residents of Phursungi and Uruli Devachi on Sunday morning staged protest against the state government’s decision to turn the two villages into a municipal council
Pune: Villagers and residents of Phursungi and Uruli Devachi on Sunday morning staged protest against the state government’s decision to turn the two villages into a municipal council. Around 150 villagers blocked the road for almost an hour to press for their demand to remerge the two villages into Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
While the state government in a notification released last week formed the area of Phursungi and Uruli Devachi along the Pune-Saswad Road across Hadapsar into a municipal council, it retained the land housing the garbage depots in these areas under the jurisdiction of PMC.
The two areas were among the other villages merged with PMC in 2018. The state government had earlier invited public suggestions and objections before taking the final decision. However, residents now oppose the state government’s notification.
“We were an independent gram panchayat, then both the villages came under the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), later PMC and has now become a municipal council. We want to be part of PMC, but the civic administration should waive off heavy taxes,” said Sanjay Harphale, former sarpanch of Phursungi gram panchayat.
The government has appointed Purandar tehsildar Vikram Rajput as the administrator till the official formation of the new municipal council.
The proposal for a separate municipal council was in the pipeline since 2023. In March 2023, the government notification to exclude the sector was challenged in the Bombay High Court, delaying the process.
Former Purandar MLA and Shiv Sena leader Vijay Sivatare played a role in favour of desegregation, arguing that the inclusion of Phursungi and Uruli Devachi in PMC did not benefit residents. According to the proposal, residents faced high property tax from PMC and villages were not getting enough funds for infrastructure and development projects.
Citizens have expressed displeasure over the lack of progress despite being part of PMC for the past seven years. Local resident Ramesh Jadhav said, “Since our village was included in PMC, we have not seen any major development works in the area. However, changing it to a municipal council is a wrong decision.”
