Prithviraj Chavan backs plan for 4% BDP construction

Chief minister (CM), Prithviraj Chavan on Monday justified his stand of 4% construction in the proposed biodiversity parks (BDPs) in Pune on the grounds that it was necessary to avoid encroachments and slums in the BDPs.

Chavan was speaking to media persons after the release of the coffee-table book 'Icons of Pune - Business' published by the Lokmat media group in the city on Monday. The CM's defence is significant, considering that green non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and coalition partner, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had taken a U-turn recently and opposed the 4% construction plan.

Significantly, on the backdrop of NCP's change of heart on the proposed biodiversity park (BDP), an all-party delegation met Chavan on the sidelines of the book launch and requested him not to change his decision.

At a separate press meet in the city, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) city president, Vikas Mathkari told media persons that the all-party delegation included members from the BJP, Congress and even the NCP, asking the CM not to backtrack on his 4% construction announcement. He said, "It is not possible for the civic body to raise Rs3,000 crore as compensation for acquiring land in the BDP."

According to Mathkari, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) could not prevent encroachments on its footpaths and hence it was impossible to prevent encroachments on the hills. "Earlier, the PMC did not pass the development plan for merged villages because of the BDP, but now the DP should be passed in public interest," he said.