PUNE: PMRDA had lodged six FIRs last month in connection with illegal constructions in its jurisdiction.
A senior Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) official said that the application to register three more cases was also sent to the police, and they will be registered soon.
“The owners of these illegal structures were issued stop work notices, but despite that they continued with the construction activity, following which cases were registered,” Deepti Suryawanshi, the joint commissioner of PMRDA, said adding that a majority of these structures were residential.
A senior PMRDA official said the demolition action against illegal structures in its limits was put on hold for the last two months after the Supreme Court, while hearing a case from Uttar Pradesh, directed the civic authorities not to raze structures. “The Supreme Court allowed action only against illegal structures on roads and water bodies across the country due to which the demolition drive against illegal structures on private properties was put on hold,” a senior PMRDA official said.
The joint commissioner said that the PMRDA staffers were busy with election duty for the last one month due to which many activities were put on hold, but since the model code of conduct is no longer in vogue, normal work will begin in all departments.
She said that the department acts on complaints received from citizens, and accordingly, action is taken after providing an opportunity for the structure holders to explain their side of the matter.
“In cases where the structures can be regularised, they are given permission, but if it falls under a restricted zone or there are any other issues due to which permission cannot be granted, the structures are demolished as per the rules,” she said.
PMRDA’s jurisdiction is spread across around nine talukas in the district, and in many cases, those who reside in rural parts or remote areas often fail to take permission from PMRDA as they are not aware of the process.
Such people register their new constructions with respective gram panchayats and pay taxes for the same, but it is necessary for them to register with PMRDA as gram panchayats or other local bodies cannot grant construction permission within PMRDA limits, said an official.
