The memorandum pertained to the 11 villages merged in PMC limits.
Seven months after it was purportedly submitted to the civic body, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) administration has launched a search for a memorandum submitted by a citizens’ group about development work in the recently-merged villages. The PMC has swung into action after the memorandum was mentioned by some local MLAs in the assembly and the state government sought its response to the queries raised in it.
In October last year, 11 villages — Lohegaon, Mundhwa, Phursungi, Uruli Devachi, Hadapsar, Ambegaon Khurd, Ambegaon Budhruk, Undri, Dhayari, Shivane and Uttamnaga — were merged within the PMC limits. In November, the Haveli Taluka Kruti Samiti had submitted a memorandum, saying that the revenue collected from these 11 villages should be spent only for development work in these areas. They pointed out that the Rs 50-crore revenue collected by the gram panchayats of the 11 villages had been transferred to the PMC. Legislators Sangram Thopte, Jaykumar Gore, Rahul Kul and Sharad Sonawane had submitted queries in the state assembly pertaining to the memorandum. They had sought the government’s response on whether any action had been initiated as per the demands of the citizens’ group, and if not, the reason for the delay.
The state Urban Development Department then asked the PMC to submit a written reply to the queries raised by legislators about the development works done by the PMC in the 11 villages. The queries were referred to the PMC accounts department, so that it could provide a response. But the accounts department is reportedly struggling to locate the memorandum by the citizens’ group.
In a communication to all civic departments and ward offices, PMC accounts department chief Ulka Kalaskar said they have been asked to respond to the queries raised in the state legislative assembly, which mentioned the memorandum by the citizens’ group. “We have not come across such a memorandum with the department so far,” stated the communication. “If your department has ever received the memorandum, then it should be sent to us with immediate effect. If it has not been received, then that should also be communicated to us,” Kalaskar said in the communication.
At a recent meeting with Mayor Mukta Tilak, former representatives of the villages had complained about the slow pace of development work in the newly-included areas in the PMC. The mayor told them the PMC has prioritised issues such as water supply, solid waste management, road construction, sewage treatment and basic health facilities for these villages.