Pune: Corporators from Aundh, Baner and Bopodi are pushing for the inclusion of more areas from their panels in the Smart Cities Mission's area-based development initiative.
The Pune Smart City Development Corporation Limited (PSCDCL) has taken up Aundh, Baner and Balewadi for the initial local area plan. In the identified areas, around 24 projects will be implemented to improve mobility and livability. These projects will later be replicated across the city.
The corporators in question — Vijay Shevale, Amol Balwadkar and Prakash Dhore — have tabled a proposal before Pune Municipal Corporation's standing committee to include those areas missing from the initial plan so as to ensure development of the entire region,
"PMC has two panels in the Aundh-Baner-Balewadi areas — Aundh-Bopodi and Baner-Balewadi-Pashan," said Shevale, "We want all the areas covered under these two panels to be considered (for area-based development."
As things stand, areas in Baner and Balewadi that are located along the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass and areas towards Khadki, which are in proximity to Aundh, are not part of the local area initiative.
Recently, PSCDCL had launched a public bicycle-sharing system in the Aundh-Baner-Balewadi region, and will launch additional services in the coming months.
Dhore termed it improper to include certain parts and exclude others from the same region. "This will defeat the purpose of the area-based development initiative, besides causing local issues at the administrative level while executing the projects," Dhore said.
Apart from local corporators, Shivajinagar MLA Vijay Kale has also demanded the expansion of the project to include Katraj-Dehu Road bypass as well as University chowk.
