New municipal council: Natives welcome decision, others want to be with PMC

The state government’s decision to constitute a separate municipal council for Uruli Devachi and Phursungi and demerge these areas from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), has evoked mixed reactions from the residents living in that area.

There is a clear demarcation between those residents who have been living in Uruli and Phursungi for years and those who have recently relocated.

Many people are hopeful that by having a separate municipal council, many civic amenities will see the light of day.

Santosh Kumar, who has lived in Phursungi for a long time, applauded the decision, saying, “Forming of a new municipal council is long overdue, for now with a centralised way of working, we might finally see development taking place and be able to enjoy basic amenities like good roads and adequate water supply in the area.”

He said previously, it was a gram panchayat, which was later merged into the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), but nothing changed for the locals.

“We were given hope, but it quickly deflated because the merger did nothing for the area, as there are no proper roads or drainage lines, and the only thing that changed was us paying double the taxes and receiving nothing in return.”

Varadharajan Dhanasekaran, who moved to Phursungi 10 years ago, believes that cutting it off from the PMC and forming a new council is not a good solution as it will impact the development in the area.

“I don’t think this new council will help us because, despite the merger from village to PMC earlier this year, we are still suffering from acute water shortages and have so much encroachment on the roads that none of them is passable. Though PMC was making progress in terms of road patching, leaving it incomplete will have an impact on people’s lives as well as real estate. We bought our house because of the PMC merger, but now we may not even get a fair price for it,” he said.

Sathya Natarajan, a Phursungi resident, believes that if a new municipal council is formed, the authorities should focus on development rather than relearning.

“This area has already been surveyed, and because PMC was on a learning curve when it was merged, and the authorities are still on a learning curve, the development is only visible on paper. However, if a new council is formed, it is critical to learn from other municipalities and not reinvent the wheel in terms of better road infrastructure, waste management (segregation at source), and water management.”

“Before the area is demerged from PMC, the officials should complete any projects initiated under PMC when acquired, ensure a smooth transition and not leave the residents in the lurch,” Sathya added.

“If the new municipal council is formed, then all the money for development will be used for specific works related to the area, which will help a lot,” said Suyog Sundur, a resident of Uruli who moved from Sangvi four years ago and built his own house.

“Development has stalled here, and perhaps this new council will provide a push in the right direction,” he added.