Pune: Villagers of Phursungi and Uruli-Devachi, the newly merged villages in Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limit, have asked the corporation to stop dumping garbage in their area from April 20. During a meeting of 11 newly merged villages into the corporation limits on Thursday, villagers cleared their stand.
City Mayor Mukta Tilak called a meeting of villagers in the corporation in the General Body meeting hall to discuss different development issues of these villages. Along with the Mayor, BJP Leader of House Shrinath Bhimale, Standing Committee Chairman Yogesh Mulik, Additional Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Nimbalkar and heads of different departments of the corporation were present in the meeting.
Villagers criticised the PMC administration for not providing basic infrastructures such as water, drainage, roads, streetlights and the merger of gram panchayat employees in PMC's service even after six months of the merger. They demanded that work be started as early as possible. They also alleged that till date, not a single development work has started in these villages.
Villagers of Phurshungi and Uruli-Devachi, where the corporation's garbage depot is located, said, "We are not getting drinking water. Last year, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis gave us an assurance that our problems would be solved and garbage dumping would be stopped. But, nothing has happened. The PMC has not floated any development work tender. We are giving an ultimatum to the administration to float the tender and start work, otherwise, we will stop garbage vehicles of the corporation from entering the garbage depot and the situation will be worse than what Aurangabad city witnessed recently."
Mukta Tilak, City Mayor, said, "We have allotted Rs 98 crore for development of 11 merged villages. Now, the corporation has given priority to water, roads and drainage. We have started work. We will provide funds as per requirement of development of merged villages."
Rajendra Nimbalkar, Additional Municipal Commissioner, said, "We will conduct a meeting of villagers of merged villages every month to discuss problems and find solutions."
In September 2017, State government had issued a notification of merger of 11 fringe villages in the corporation limit. After merging of villages, corporation areas expanded from 250.56 square kilometres to 331.26 square kilometres. There is an addition of 2.78 lakh of population in the existing population of Pune city limit. Corporation has estimated the amount of Rs 2,229 crore for developing infrastructure and they are anticipating 10 per cent rise per annum in estimated amount.
