E-Paper
Two days after demolition, shanties return in BDP zone at Dukkar Khind
There are a total of 159 purchasers, who have land on the bio-diversity park (BDP) area of one guntha which they purchased at Rs 4,00,000 from the landlord Sancheti Purohit in the year 2011-12
Two days after Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials demolished shanties on bio-diversity park (BDP) area at Dukkar Khind the shanties have surfaced again on Sunday.
More than 50 people held a meeting near the shanties who claimed to be owners with each having a 7/12 extract on their name. They were here to discuss how to get electricity and water connections to their shanties. The shanties belong to autorickshaw drivers, housemaids and menial workers who invested their money for these plots, through a middle man.
There are allegedly a total of 159 purchasers, who have land on the bio-diversity park (BDP) area of one guntha ( 1,076 sq.ft.) which they purchased at Rs 4,00,000 from the landlord Sancheti Purohit in the year 2011-12. In 2013, the hills were designated as a bio-diversity park (BDP) zone, but the shanty owners claim that they bought 1,000 acres land and also have papers to prove it.
Nitin Udas, deputy commissioner, Zone II said, “ We will instruct the ward officer concerned to visit the tekdi and submit a report on this. We will ensure action is taken at the earliest.”
Residents from Mahatma society, Shantiban society, Dahanukar society, Woodlands society, and Kumar Parisar have called upon the corporators to discuss the way forward and to take action against those involved in encroachments.
Charudutta Joshi, a resident of Shantiban Society, said, “I often trek up the hill for their morning and evening walks. I was alarmed to see temporary shanties with tin walls come up on the flat land up on the hill. I am aware that this is a BDP zone and was taken aback to see these structures.”
According to the PMC development plan for the newly incorporated extended areas of Kothrud, Warje, hilltops and slopes are declared under BDP, which applies to 125 acres of land.
Another resident Mahesh Vaidya, a resident of Mahatma Society, said, “We want a permanent solution to the problem and we appeal to PMC officials to take a save the bio-diversity park zones from encroachers.”
The corporators, Dilip Vedepatil, Kiran Dagade Patil and Alpana Ganesh Varpe along with ex corporator Sham Deshpande stated that until the sub-registrar’s office does not allow plots to be sold at piecemeal under the De-Fragmentation Act, and that stricter law is enforced, only then can the BDP and hills can be saved.
