Fadnavis instructs Pune BJP unit to hold meeting to discuss Bio Diversity Park issue

The decision over controversial Bio Diversity Park (BDP) will be taken in a soon to be held meeting, as instructed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The chief minister has instructed the local unit of BJP and local MLAs and MPs of the city to hold a meeting to take a call on this issue.

Fadnavis had taken a decision in the year 2015 on BDP, with the state government issuing a notification saying that no construction will be allowed on the BDP land which mostly has green cover and is located at foothills. The state had then rejected the demand to allow construction by land owners using atleast 8% of the plot area for residential purpose. 

The BJP city unit president Yogesh Gogawale, mayor Mukta Tilak, leader of house Sirnath Bhimale, said during a press conference called on the occasion of BJP completing one year in the PMC, that the final call on BDP will be taken at a meeting with the chief minister.

Gogawale and Bhimale confirmed that the chief minister has instructed the city unit to call for a meeting with PMC office bearers and MLAs of the city to take a stand on BDP.  

Gogawale said “as per chief minister’s instruction, a meeting would be called for very soon and Bharatiya Janata Party will take decision on it and convey the same to the chief minster.” 

When asked if BJP is planning to revise the decision on BIo Diversity Park, they claimed that the state government has not taken any final decision yet. 

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress party president and MP, Vandana Chavan said that the chief minister had already taken the decision on BDP. “Now it is clear that there would be no construction in BDP. Only the part of giving compensation to land owners is remaining. If BJP wants to revise the decision, they will need to execute law number 37 processes as per the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation Act 1949. They will need to call for suggestions and objections on it, as well,” she said . 

The back story  

The Pune Municipal Corporation had proposed the Bio-Diversity Park (BDP) demarcation in 2005 while preparing the development plan for 23 merged villages. This included the city hills in areas such as Baner, Bavdhan, Katraj, Kondhwa and Sinhagad road, among others. 

Under this BDP zone, 978 hectares of land have been reserved. Of this, 124 hectares of land is government- owned and the remaining 853 hectares are owned by private parties. Land owners and some political parties are of the view that construction should be allowed in the BDP areas. The government, however, did not give in to pressure and stood firm against any construction in the BDP zone.