Ravi Karandeekar's Pune Real Estate Market News Blog: PMC General Body defers support to fight against the state government move to make major modifications in the development plan of Baner and Balewadi

Saturday, October 25, 2008

PMC General Body defers support to fight against the state government move to make major modifications in the development plan of Baner and Balewadi

Green Pune Movement:

Even as citizens, civic activists, NGOs and environmentalists have joined hands under the ‘Green Pune Movement’ (GPM) banner to fight against the state government move to make major modifications in the development plan (DP) of Baner and Balewadi, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) general body preferred to defer the proposal supporting the movement.

While many proposals in which corporators had suggested ward-level works were approved by the GB on Thursday, the proposal seeking GB’s permission to register the objection to the changes in DP on behalf of the PMC was kept pending.

State Government's modifications:

Green Pune Movement members have alleged that reservations for gardens, playgrounds, primary and high schools, exhibition grounds, otta markets, fire brigade and important roads — in short, all public amenities — have either been removed or are being proposed to be removed and replaced with the ‘residential’ tag. The Bio-Diversity Park (BDP) reservation too is held in abeyance. -The Times of India

About Baner Balewadi DP:

As per Indian Express News service, after holding for two years, the State Government had approved the draft development plan (DP) without any changes along with the 89 hectare reserved for bio-diversity park (BDP).

Most of the land reserved for BDP in the two villages belong to various government organisations and the work for developing it had already begun.

"The approved part DP covers 1290 hectare of Baner and Balewadi villages. It has around 118 reservations in the area," PMC city engineer Prashant Waghmare had told reporters.

The part DP for Baner and Balewadi villages was given sanction to ensure development work of the area before the Common Wealth Youth Games in October 2008.

Wahgmare had said that approved DP for the two villages does not include town planning scheme in the area.

Thus, the concern ended for losing the "green" development plan for 23 villages likely to getting stuck due to the builder lobby pressurising the government to allow land on hill slopes and hill tops for construction purpose was .

The planning committed in its draft DP for the 23 villages merged in PMC in 1987 had banned constructions on the hills and along the banks of the rivers. The draft DP was submitted to state government for approval on January 1, 2005.

The PMC had accepted the recommendations of the Centre for Advance development Computing (C-DAC) and environmentalist for preparing draft DP.

Anand Agashe, director editor Sakaal:

“The development plan will impact the quality of life of the people in Pune for hundred years and if the administration has done something wrong with the plan, people have the right to stand up and ask questions,” Anand Agashe had said, referring to a subtle warning that municipal commissioner Praveensinh Pardeshi had issued at a meeting with editors of newspapers from the city.

Subscribe for free to receive hot Pune real estate news, views and reviews: