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Shop owners seek financial aid following Bhide Wada demolition
The PMC action came after the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that allowed the civic body to take possession of the premises
The shopkeepers and residents occupying the premises of Bhide Wada claimed that they were caught off guard by the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) post-midnight demolition drive.
Armed with huge police force and blocking the roads leading to the site, PMC razed Bhide Wada, a historic landmark that housed the nation’s first girls’ school started by social reformers Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and his wife Savitribai Phule in 1848, on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
The PMC action came after the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that allowed the civic body to take possession of the premises, dismissing petitions from tenants, leaving them in a precarious situation.
Many of the shopkeepers, mostly tenants and owners, had businesses within the structure and the demolition left them without alternatives, they said.
Samir Dhadge who runs Sagar Flowers said the property has been occupied by his family since past five generations.
“Despite our support and lack of opposition against the commemoration, PMC threw us out of our homes without providing us any financial help or relocation,” Dhadge said.
Chhagan Bhujbal, Maharashtra minister and OBC leader, however, said that ample time was given to those occupying the premises at Bhide Wada despite the High Court and the Supreme Court rulings.
“PMC and the state government gave them two months and financial compensation has also been promised to all those having businesses here. It was important to vacate the property to construct a national memorial,” said Bhujbal.
The disillusionment deepened as promises made by ministers remained unfulfilled. “Ministers had assured us spaces for shop owners and smarak (monument) at the property. They have betrayed our trust. When they seek votes, they’d come with us to fight our cause,” another displaced shopkeeper said.
“They sent us a notice at 7 pm last night, and razed the building by 11 pm. We did not get time to remove our materials and are now made to sit on footpath,” said Dhadge.
Mukesh Shah, another shop owner, said the Supreme Court had redirected their plea to the High Court. “We were supposed to bring up the issue before the High Court and had asked the authorities to give us some time. But they went ahead with the demolition,” he Shah.
The award was passed according to an old Act passed by the High Court, but it should have been cleared in accordance with the new 2013 Act. We have challenged the award in the High Court, he said.
“We had agreed to accept PMC’s terms provided they give us fair compensation as per the new market value. This is a politically-driven act and we are left to suffer regardless of our plea for cooperation,” Shah said.
MM Shayad, a bystander, said, “Savitribai Phule started the first girl’s school here, and the owners were willing to set up a memorial. They wanted their shops left alone, but unfortunately, they never received the support they needed.”
The municipal administration’s move to transform the site into a national monument adds to the complexity of the situation. While the significance of preserving historical landmarks is acknowledged, the human cost of such actions cannot be ignored. As the debris settles, the tenants and residents stare at an uncertain future.
