PMC Officials Under Scrutiny for Inadequate Action on Illegal Hoardings
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) encroachment department has expressed its concern over the lack of proactive measures taken by assistant commissioners of five zones in addressing the issue of illegal hoardings. Show-cause notices have been issued to these officials as a result. The move comes after a mere 51 hoardings were removed from the city between June 1 and June 20.
The civic body initiated action against unauthorized hoardings in April, successfully dismantling 1,250 out of 2,214 illegal hoardings by May 31. Based on this progress, it was expected that approximately 900 hoardings would be taken down in June. However, the sluggish pace of action has raised concerns within the department, prompting the issuance of show-cause notices.
Given the recent incidents of hoarding collapses, there has been an increasing demand for the removal of illegal hoardings. In a tragic incident, two individuals lost their lives in the Pimpri-Chinchwad area when an unauthorized hoarding collapsed due to strong winds. Despite such unfortunate incidents, the problem of unauthorized hoardings continues to persist.
Madhav Jagtap, Deputy Commissioner of the Encroachment and Illegal Construction Removal Department at PMC, stated, “The department had expected the drive to continue with the same level of enthusiasm. However, the pace has slowed down, and we are still falling short of our target. Therefore, show-cause notices have been issued. Once we receive their response on Monday, further action will be determined.”
