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PMC saves Rs54.77 crore in land acquisition cost of Salisbury garden
The land acquisition cost was fixed at ₹71.55 crore in 2009, but PMC had initially challenged it in the High Court
PUNE The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) saved ₹ 54.77 crores in land acquisition compensation costs after Supreme Court’s decision in the Salisbury Park garden case.
The land acquisition cost was fixed at ₹71.55 crore in 2009, but PMC had initially challenged it in the High Court. In 2019, High Court had given decision against the civic body, which prompted PMC to challenge the decision in Supreme Court by objecting to the escalated land acquisition cost.
The Supreme Court, according to PMC, disposed off the case in February 2022 and asked the Pune district collector to fix a new land acquisition cost.
The collector on February 28, 2023, fixed the compensation at ₹16.77 crore.
PMC issued a statement saying, “Due to continuous follow-up and fighting the case in the apex court, PMC was able to save ₹54.77 crores. Municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar, additional commissioner Ravindra Binwade and city engineer Prashant Waghmare led the case and supported the administration to fight till the end. As PMC put up its side strongly and opposed the escalated cost, we were able to save ₹54.77 crore.”
It all started in 2004 when the PMC issued a notification to de-reserve a plot of land originally earmarked for a garden and handed it over to a local builder. About 300 residents organised a rally in protest under the banner ‘Salisbury Park Residence Forum’ and filed a case in court which went on for several years.
In 2015, the Bombay high court directed the PMC to pay ₹18 crore to the district administration and take possession of the land. As the original owner did not object to the PMC acquiring the land, the civic body completed the legal formalities, took possession of the land, and began developing a garden on the plot that was earlier used to dump garbage in 2016. Even as work on the garden began, the PMC challenged the increased compensation amount which by subsequent HC ruling was referred to a larger bench in 2018 and further increased to ₹76 crores.
The garden has been developed on the lines of a topiary, with the trees and shrubs styled into shapes of animals and cartoons. There is a separate area for exercise with gym bars, a skating rink, flower beds, an amphitheatre and more.
