PUNE: The general body of the BJP-led PMC on Thursday approved the civic administration’s proposal to prepare the draft development plan (DP) for the 23 villages recently merged with the municipal limits despite the state entrusting PMRDA with the task.
The state government had on Wednesday issued a notification stating that the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) would draft the development plan for the 23 villages recently merged with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits.
The BJP, which has a majority in the PMC, supported the civic administration’s proposal, saying that PMC was the planning authority and must get the right of drafting the DP for the merged villages. The proposal was approved after 95 corporators voted in favour of the proposal as against 59 opposing it.
Opposition parties, including the NCP, Congress, Shiv Sena and the MNS, had opposed the move and termed the general body meeting convened by the civic body “unofficial”. As the elected members could not arrive at the conclusion of the proposal following a debate, the issue was put for voting.
Ganesh Bidkar, leader of the house in PMC, said, “Taking away the DP from PMC and giving it to PMRDA is unconstitutional. It is an infringement of the civic body’s powers conferred on it by the Constitution. We held the general body meeting and expressed interest in drafting the DP to uphold the civic body’s rights.”
NCP corporator Prashant Jagtap said, “It was pointless to convene the general body (GB) meeting after the state appointed PMRDA the planning authority.”
Ulhas (Aba) Bagul, leader of Congress in PMC, said, “If the civic body again starts drafting the DP, it will be a time consuming process. Public money will be spent unnecessarily on work done by the PMRDA. It (PMRDA) should be allowed to prepare the DP.”
