Pune panchayat officials to face the music

The district administration will continue its drive against illegal constructions around Pune city and will disqualify those gram panchayat (village-level) office-bearers who have allowed illegal constructions in their jurisdiction.

The district administration undertook a major action against illegal constructions on the hilly terrain around Katraj, in which 23 buildings were razed on Thursday. A senior official said on Friday that the administration would continue its drive.

He said it was found that in the areas falling under the jurisdiction of gram panchayats adjacent to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), rampant illegal constructions have come up. In many cases, the gram panchayat has allowed such construction in violation of rules.

“The district administration will disqualify those office-bearers who have given permission for such constructions,” the official said, adding that on Thursday, the district administration took the assistance of the PMC for the demolition of illegal structures as the administration does not have its own personnel for the purpose.

The drive was undertaken after the district collectorate carried out surveys on proliferation of illegal constructions on the hills of Katraj, especially in the areas of Ambegaon Budruk and Jambhulwadi. More than 200 policemen, including a company of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were deployed. Another 100 employees from the anti-encroachment department of the PMC and 55 employees of the revenue department of the district administration were involved in the drive.