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Pune’s civic body assures to put ownership signage on public playground at Castel Royale
Two public utility plots have been handed over by builders to PMC, but both need clear signage and public access
Pune municipal commissioner Saurabh Rao on Tuesday assured to ownership signages on two public utility plots that were handed over to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) by the builders of the Castel Royale super-luxury residential project in the Aundh-Bopodi area.
Hindustan Times has been repeatedly drawing attention to the fact that a one acre plot and a 30,000 sq.ft plot earmarked for a public playground neither have public access nor signages stating that the plots belong to the PMC.
When asked about this, municipal commissioner Rao said, “I will take necessary action in this matter and put the board there.”
Estate department head Anil Muley said, “Within a period of eight days, PMC will put up the ownership board on the playground and the other amenity space which have been handed over to the PMC in Castle Royale project. The two plots have been handed over and PMC must put its board there. Since our staff is involved in election duty, the PMC will put up the board after the results.”
Muley added that he will instruct his department to “put up ownership boards on all the amenity spaces in the city which have been handed over to the civic body. The PMC staff will do the survey and put up boards on all PMC owned properties.”
He said if a builder has already handed over a plot to the PMC as per agreement, it is wrong for someone to use it illegally. The PMC will take action on whoever is using it without permission and will take possession of the plot.”
Republican Party of India (A) leader Parshuram Wadekar said that he had written to the PMC last week and had demanded action against a private sports agency which was using the plot illegally. Wadekar alleged that civic officials were ignoring his complaints.
The plot of about 30,000 sq.ft is located next to tower-1 of the super-luxury residential complex Castel Royale, located off Aundh road on Park road outside the Khadki gate of Savitribai Phule Pune University.
In a report on October 18, Hindustan Times had highlighted how Wadekar and his wife, RPI corporator from Bopodi, Sunita Wadekar, had succeeded in securing the prime public plots that were enclosed in this residential project. Wadekar had said in an interview, “I was aware that the developer Avinash Bhosale Infrastructure Ltd, which has constructed the Castel Royale project needed to hand over a developed plot of 40 hectares( (one hectare equals 1,089 square feet) from the project to PMC.” The second public utility plot is of approximately 30,000 sq ft.
“ As this place is serene and peaceful, I wanted to initiate an innovative project on this plot. I, therefore, followed it up with Pune Municipal Corporation for gaining possession of almost two to three acres of land from the developer. Prashant Waghmare, city engineer, extended considerable assistance in getting possession of this land,” Wadekar said.
While a Vipassana and Yoga centre has been planned on this land, the playground plot is also a part of this agreement between ABIL and the PMC.
