973 illegal constructions: Pimpri Chinchwad civic body starts filing FIRs

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has started the process of filing FIRs against illegal constructions from Monday. PCMC will file the criminal cases against 973 such constructions soon.

PCMC commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi said that the illegal structures, constructed after March 31, 2012 will be demolished at any cost as per the strong support of the state government and high court authorities. Pardeshi said, “Due to the lack of police protection we had stopped the demolition drive temporarily. The police protection was delayed due to the high alert declared in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad post the blasts.”

He added, “PCMC has identified more than 473 new illegal constructions. Earlier there were 500 illegal constructions which have come up after March 31.”

Pardeshi clarified that the drive will start with demolition of illegal commercial and industrial constructions. The guilty will face a jail term of three months to three years and a fine of  Rs50,000 will also be levied on them.

Pardeshi said that despite the existing laws, unauthorised constructions were being carried out in the city. “Illegal construction should be stopped to stop further losses as state and high court has passed the orders,” he said.

He added that PCMC had appointed designated officers in its four zonal wards to check new illegal constructions and take actions against these ongoing constructions.

The civic body has resent the proposal of regularising the old illegal constructions done before March 31 by charging the stipulated fine.