Merged with a big city like Pune? These 11 villages didn’t even use Rs 100 crore for development as they continue to face neglect

It was a year back, on October 4, 2017, that 11 villages were merged within the Pune municipal corporation limits but nothing has changed for the villagers.

The 11 villages, who were earlier under gram panchayats, continue to face neglect and the civic body has been unable to spend even 10 per cent of the Rs 100 Crore that has been approved for carrying out the developmental work.

The residents of the villages continue to face problems related to infrastructure. After the merger, Pune municipal corporation had made a budgetary provision of Rs 100 Crore for giving basic amenities to the villages. Officials from the municipal administration claim that most of the proposals for various development work in the areas are in the tendering stage.

“The electric poles have been fitted in our area and despite many remainders, the Pune municipal corporation is not fitting the bulbs. Now, all that remains are the electric poles without the bulbs,” said Sumit Bankar, a resident of Dhayari. Sumit’s mother was a sarpanch.

Water is not being supplied to Dhayari area regularly. It is only once in 8 days that the residents get water from PMC.

Bankar said that the electric poles were installed by the grampanchayat, but before they could fit the bulbs, the village was merged within the PMC limits.

“We are just asking for electric bulbs but the mayor and other office bearers are unable to fulfil our demand,” said Bankar.

Suresh Gujar, a resident of Uttamnagar Shivane said, “PMC is collecting 100 per cent tax from here but is not spending a single rupee in the area. Shivane and Uttamnagar areas are facing drainage problems. Recently the public works department completed the road work in Uttamnagar area but did not make any provision for drainage lines. Now, the road level has got escalated and drainage water is coming into the shops and homes.” 

Sachin Dodke, leader, Nationalist Congress Party, who has been raising the issues of the 11 merged villages repeatedly in the corporation blamed the civic body for its apathy.

“Neither the mayor nor the commissioner has visited any of the merged villages in the last one year. They just called for one review meeting in the corporation but have not executed any decision, so far.” said Dodke,

Dodke said that the merged villages faced number of problems with regard to basic infrastructure. “The roads are in bad condition. There are no covered drainage lines and no pickup system for garbage. Residents are forced to throw the garbage in open spaces. PMC tried to give this work to Swacch people but residents do not want to pay for garbage collection. Earlier, ghanta gadis (garbage collection vehicles) used to collect garbage door to door but PMC stopped that as it was operated by grampanchayats,” said Dhokde.

Residents allege that since the merged 11 villages are getting water through the Jeevan Pradikaran scheme, the civic body is not supplying drinking water regularly.

On being quizzed about the plight of the residents in the 11 merged villages, standing committee chairman Yogesh Mulik said, “ It is true that money is not getting spend in the merged villages. There is some administrative process after budgetary allocation. The road tenders are in pipeline in all the villages and work orders would be given soon. The work will start in the next one or two months. It is common that in first half of the financial year, maximum administrative work happens and in second half the work get starts on the ground.”

PMC appeals for suggestions

The Pune municipal corporation on Tuesday called for suggestions from the residents for the development plan of the newly merged 11 villages. The civic body published the intention and gave the residents 60 days to respond to the appeal.

The state government had brought 11 villages within the municipal limits, a year ago, on October 4, 2017. The merged villages include Lohegaon (Shivne-Uttamnagar (88 %), Shivane, Mundwa, Hadapsar-Sade, Satara Nali, Ambegaon Khurd , Undri , Ddhayari , Ambegaon Budruk , Uruli Devachi and Phursungi.

The area falling under the jurisdiction of PMC increased from 250.64 sq km to 331 sq km after the merger. The total population of these villages is 2.78 lakh.

The appeal of Saurabh Rao, Pune municipal commissioner, regarding the intention of preparing the development plan for these areas was published in the newspapers. The civic body has also kept the map of these areas in its headquarters and has appealed to the residents to submit their suggestions regarding the amenities they want in the areas.