3 days ago
Illegal properties in restricted area of defence establishments in Pune under PMC scanner
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has begun a survey to identify illegal properties in the restricted zone around defence establishments in the city, following a Bombay High Court order that sought a report on the matter.
On March 27, the Bombay High Court had stated that before demolishing or removing any such unauthorised construction, 'a thorough survey' was required. The court directed a survey of properties at the earliest, saying that the issue was not confined to unauthorised construction, and involved unauthorised occupation and use of defence land as well.
Accordingly, the PMC, 'considering urgency as the report has to be submitted to court soon', has entrusted the task to a private agency, Monarch Surveyor and Engineering Consultants Pvt Ltd, at an expense of Rs 1.69 crore.
Initially, the survey will look at current land use in Lohegaon, Dhanori, Kharadi, Vadgaonsheri and Kalas. Later, it will include properties around the Southern Command, BEG, Pune Airport, AFMC, High Energy Materials Research Laboratory in Kirkee and Sutarwadi, Armament Research and Development Establishment in Pashan, and National Defence Academy.
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation had carried out a similar survey of properties by integrating drone survey mapping and property tax records, and the PMC is expected to follow along the same lines. Apart from the drone survey, site visits will also be held, with GIS mapping in three months.
'The site visit will include information like the number of floors of the property, the type of use before and after declaring it as a restricted area, etc.,' a senior PMC officer said.
While the information on existing land use has been collected by the state land records department, the PMC-appointed agency will collect details of the structure and whether it is authorised or unauthorised.
In its order, the Bombay High Court has said, 'Once the survey is completed, so far as removal of unauthorised encroachments is concerned, all authorities concerned should immediately take steps for removal of unauthorised encroachments.'
'Non-submission of survey reports on or before the next day of hearing will be treated as contempt of orders of the court,' the court had added.
