Pune civic body approves ₹392 crore for drainage work in 11 merged villages

Villages, which were earlier under gram panchayats, continue to face neglect and the civic body has been unable to spend even 10 per cent of the ₹100 crore approved for developmental work

The standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), on Tuesday, cleared work on drainage and sewage treatment plants in 11 villages merged into the municipal limits in 2017.

A view of Handewadi village, which will be included in PMC. (HT PHOTO)

The standing committee approved ₹392 crore to be spent on repairing or developing drainage lines, a major issue in these 11 villages.

Even though these 11 villages merged in 2017, PMC has not been able to allocate any substantial amount for basic development work here, until now.

Standing committee chairman Hemant Rasane said, “The standing committee has given its nod to carry out sewage related works in the 11 villages merged in 2017 in PMC.”

The villages, which were earlier under gram panchayats, continue to face neglect and the civic body has been unable to spend even 10 per cent of the ₹100 crore approved for developmental work.

Residents of the villages continue to face problems related to infrastructure, including road, sewage and drainage issues.

After the merger, PMC had made a budgetary provision of ₹100 crore for giving basic amenities in these villages. Officials from the administration claim that most of the proposals for various development works in the areas are in the tender stage.

Municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar, who put the proposal before the standing committee, said, “All these works will be carried out in the next three years. PMC will need to make a budgetary provision for the same work in the next three years’ budget.”

The area falling under the jurisdiction of PMC is 80 sqkm, with the total population of these villages at 0.278 million.

Nationalist Congress Party’s city unit president Prashant Jagtap said, “Ruling BJP is approving all these work in such a way that they believe they will not get power in the future.”

Congress leader Arvind Shinde has already challenged this proposal and filed a PIL (public interest litigation).

The 11 merged villages are: Uruli Devachi, Phursungi, Bavdhan Budruk, Lohegaon, Hadapsar (Sadesatra Nali), Mundhwa (Keshavnagar area), Shivane, Dhayari, Undri, Ambegaon Khurda and Ambegaon Budruk