Pune Municipal Corporation: Lack of infrastructure in 34 villages included in Pune Municipal Corporation

Pune: Lack of Infrastructure in 34 Villages Included in Pune Municipal Corporation

The 34 villages that were incorporated into the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) still lack basic infrastructure. A high-level meeting will soon be held to address the current situation in these villages. The meeting will discuss the infrastructure needs, the expenses incurred by the PMC so far, the revenue generated by the corporation, the expected funding from the state government, the budgetary allocations, and various staffing issues.

It is essential for the PMC to provide necessary infrastructure in these villages. However, the state government has not allocated any funds for this purpose. The PMC had requested ₹10,000 crores from the state government to develop the required infrastructure in these villages, but this request was not approved. The property tax in these villages has been gradually increased, but it is higher than the tax levied by the gram panchayats, leading to opposition from the residents. Additionally, triple property tax has been imposed on unauthorized constructions and warehouses, causing further resistance. The state government has put a hold on collecting property tax arrears. Due to a lack of revenue, the PMC is forced to cut costs, which has resulted in a halt in the development of these villages.

Furthermore, the process of integrating officers and staff from these villages into the PMC is not yet fully completed, leading to issues related to seniority and personnel records. For example, after the integration of officers from Uruli Devachi and Fursungi, they were later sent back after the villages were made independent municipalities. This has affected their seniority and personnel records. Some officers and staff have even approached the high court over these issues.

Additionally, there is a dispute over the water supply in these villages, with disagreements between the residents, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), Pune Municipal Corporation, and the Water Resources Department. When the villages were included, the approved water quota was not increased. As a result, the PMC, which is already struggling to supply water in its core areas, is facing difficulties in providing water to the newly included villages.

Responsibility for providing infrastructure lies with the PMC, but the corporation will not receive any revenue from these villages. A few months ago, the state government decided to exclude Uruli Devachi and Fursungi from the PMC and make them independent municipalities. However, the responsibility to provide services in these villages has still been assigned to the PMC.