Days after a court ordered the attachment of the municipal commissioner’s chair over delays in paying compensation in the Uruli Devachi-Phursungi landfill land acquisition case, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been directed to prepare an action plan for all pending land acquisition matters within a month.
Standing committee chairman Shrinath Bhimale issued the directive during the committee’s weekly meeting on Thursday. He instructed the civic administration to conduct a department-wise review of all pending cases related to land acquisition, transferable development rights (TDR) and cash compensation, and submit the report within one month.
During the review of the Uruli Devachi-Phursungi case, it emerged that compensation in the form of TDR or cash remains pending in several cases despite the completion of land acquisition proceedings years ago.
“This is a serious issue. The reasons for every delay must be identified and corrective measures proposed,” Bhimale said, adding the need for a stronger coordination and monitoring mechanism to ensure timely compliance with court orders.
“Complying with court orders is the corporation’s legal responsibility. The land acquisition and legal departments must closely monitor every case so that such situations do not recur. Accountability should be fixed wherever delays have occurred,” he said.
Bhimale directed the administration to conduct an internal inquiry to find the reasons behind such delays.
{{/usCountry}}Bhimale directed the administration to conduct an internal inquiry to find the reasons behind such delays.
{{/usCountry}}According to civic officials, the case relates to compensation for land acquired nearly two decades ago for the Uruli Devachi-Phursungi garbage depot. After PMC failed to comply with court directions to compensate affected landowners, the court ordered the attachment of the municipal commissioner’s chair.
The order was stayed after PMC submitted an affidavit assuring the court that it would deposit nearly ₹12 crore with the district collector by August 11.