E-Paper
PMC spends ₹1.32 crore public fund on art plaza, still remains unused
The Mahatma Phule art plaza set up by PMC at Bund Garden bridge, a Grade-1 heritage structure, after spending ₹1.32 crore, remains unused, unmaintained and closed since it was built in 2016
Pune:The Mahatma Phule art plaza set up at Bund Garden bridge, a Grade-1 heritage structure, remains unused, unmaintained and closed since it was built in 2016. The plaza was developed as an interactive space to showcase and encourage local art and craft, for exhibitions and displays of art, photography, landscaping, demonstrations and awareness programmes. Now, overgrown weeds and dust beyond the gates mark this space.
Civic activist Qaneez Sukhrani has appealed twice under Right to Information (RTI) Act to know why this place is still under lock and key.
“Under RTI I found that ₹1.32 crore was spent at the behest of political party Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). The project started in December 2014 and was completed in February 2017. Before spending the amount, no survey was done if an open-air bridge in the middle of heavy traffic is the correct place to hold exhibitions.”
The art plaza was built to preserve the 100-year-old heritage bridge, built by the British in 1867, under the heritage sites mission of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).
Sukhrani found out that after being completed by PMC heritage cell, there was no formal handover to any PMC department. “It has never been cleaned, maintained, secured. Overgrown grass and shrubs give ideal location for illegal incidents to take place. No audit has been done by any department of PMC to see the deteriorating state of the place after ₹1.32 crores of public funds were spent.”
The heritage department, Pune Municipal Corporation, confirmed of receiving two RTI complaints and clarified that the plaza was kept closed due to Covid and lack of funds.
“The RTI activist has been writing to us, but we faced fund shortage. Work to clear the overgrown weeds and restore the place has started. We request art lovers to come forward and hold events at this place on weekends,” said Harshada Shinde, heritage department, PMC.
