MLA wants state government to decide on BDP policy fast

PUNE: City MLA Medha Kulkarni wants the state government to take a call on the biodiversity park (BDP) policy at the earliest to give a push to infrastructure projects.

Kulkarni on Friday said the recently launched project to widen Chandani Chowk and construct a flyover at the chowk would require about 70% BDP land. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will not be able to acquire the land because the state government has not finalized a policy regarding BDP land. There was a need to come clear on the issue, Kulkarni said.

The MLA on Friday raised the matter in the ongoing assembly session through a privilege motion. She said of the 15 hectares of land required for the Chandani Chowk project, about 12 hectares are in BDP reservation. The project would not move forward till the government brought clarity in the matter because there was no clear policy about the compensation to be paid to the landowners, Kulkarni said.

She stressed the issue was crucial not only for the Chandani Chowk project but also for other infrastructure development in the city. She said the delay in the decision was also leading to illegal constructions in BDP areas.

A source in PMC said the issue was pending for long with the state government and the chief minister was expected to conduct a meeting on it. A senior BJP leader said, "Besides Chandani Chowk, PMC has proposed allotment of BDP land for the Shivsrushti project. A clearance from the government is crucial for this. How will the issue be resolved when there is no policy in place?" the leader wondered.

The city has a vast area under BDP. The NCP, during its rule in PMC, failed to take a decision on BDP. Landowners in the BDP are not expecting the BJP-led government to take a call on it. In a recently held meeting, guardian minister Girish Bapat had assured local corporators that the issue would be resolved at the earliest.