The Bombay High Court has recently directed the state government to provide clarification on its intention to withdraw the notification issued on March 31 of this year, which sought to exclude Uruli Devachi and Phursungi villages from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits. The court’s decision comes after petitioners challenged the legality of the notification, citing a similar case in Kalyan-Dombivali where the high court had intervened and directed the withdrawal of a similar order in 2020. The court has also indicated that it will make a decision on the matter if the government fails to respond appropriately.
The petitioners have highlighted a precedent set in 2020 when the high court mandated the state government to revoke a notification that aimed to exclude certain villages from the municipal corporation’s jurisdiction. Drawing parallels from this case, the current petitioners argue that the state government’s move to exclude Uruli Devachi and Phursungi villages from PMC is unlawful.
The initiative to exclude these villages from the PMC’s purview originated when former MLA Vijay Shivtare approached the Chief Minister with demands from villagers to establish a separate municipal council for these villages. This request also included a plea to be removed from the PMC’s administrative boundaries.
However, this decision has been met with opposition from several residents who believe that this exclusion would impede their access to essential development facilities. The petitioners have contended that the consent of the municipal commissioner should not be considered valid due to the absence of elected representatives in the civic body since the previous term concluded in 2022, and no subsequent elections have taken place.
The exclusion of these villages by the state government under the influence of a former MLA. We earnestly appeal to the government to reconsider this decision. It is our sincere plea that the state government revisits this choice in a respectful manner.
Ujwal Keskar, Petitioner
The High Court has reserved the case for further hearings, with the final verdict expected to be delivered in due course.
