Pune: Pune Municipal Corporation has initiated a comprehensive drive to eradicate the proliferation of illegal structures on the Hilltop Hillslope at Bibvewadi along Gangadham Shatrunjay Mandir Road. Amidst this, a significant development unfolded on Wednesday as a 4,000-square-foot showroom, specialising in tiles, was demolished by the corporation as part of this campaign.
The targeted area, flanking both sides of the Gangadham Shatrujay Temple (Kondhwa) road, has witnessed a surge in the establishment of numerous warehouses and showrooms in recent years. Despite the explicit prohibition on construction in this hilltop hillslope region, over 100 small and large-scale unauthorised structures have emerged.
The Municipal Corporation has been consistently taking action against these encroachments, augmented by three rounds of taxation by the income tax department. However, these measures have not deterred the persistence of illegal activities in the area, where fire incidents have also posed significant challenges due to restricted access for firefighters.
Umesh Shidruk, branch engineer of the construction department, informed that on Wednesday, businessman Prakash Mutha’s expansive 4,000-square-foot tile showroom in this area was demolished as a part of this demolish campaign.
Shidruk affirmed ongoing efforts to address illegal construction, acknowledging that some businessmen have obtained legal stays from the court against the Municipal Corporation’s actions. The administration is actively seeking information about the cases under stay and has launched a legal campaign to lift these moratoriums. In the absence of further adjournments, the process of demolishing showrooms and warehouses belonging to such businessmen is slated to commence next week.
Most of the establishments in the area operate under lease agreements. Shidruk urged tenants to promptly terminate their tenancy agreements, ceasing unauthorised business activities. Additionally, he appealed to the owners of the respective premises, emphasizing that the expenses incurred by the administration for demolishing these constructions would be reflected in their income tax obligations.
