The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is under public scrutiny following the demolition of approximately 500 flats in 11 buildings at Ambegaon Budruk, a shocking move that has left citizens homeless just two years after they purchased the properties. The controversy centers around the municipal corporation’s delayed response to unauthorized construction.
The buildings, located near Sinhagad College on survey no. 10, had initially received notices from the construction department in 2021 during the early stages of construction. However, no immediate action was taken at that time. Subsequent notices were issued in 2023, leading to the sudden demolition on Thursday (28th December), utilizing a jaw crusher machine to bring down the structures spanning an area of 45,050 square feet.
Former corporator Arvind Shinde expressed dissatisfaction with the PMC’s handling of the situation and filed a complaint with Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar. Shinde questioned why no action was taken when notices were first issued in 2021, allowing construction to progress and resulting in around 500 occupied flats by 2023.
Hemant More, Executive Engineer of the Building Development Department, acknowledged that notices were indeed issued in 2021, but details of the action taken at that time are not readily available. Notices were reissued in April 2023, with residents claiming they only received them a few days before the recent demolition. More clarified that the current action was based on the renewed notices.
This incident has sparked concerns about the delayed response of the municipal corporation, leaving citizens in distress. Arvind Shinde has urged an inquiry into the conduct of junior engineers during the period of unauthorized construction in 2021, invoking Section 6 of the MRTP Act, 1964.
Unauthorized constructions remain a persistent challenge in various parts of the city, particularly in suburban areas where flats are sold at lower prices, attracting common citizens. The PMC advises prospective homebuyers to ensure that flats have the necessary permissions from the Municipal Corporation and are registered with Maharera to avoid such consequences.
