PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation’s plan to map its 3,000 properties via GPS to protect them from encroachment remains unfinished even after five years.
The initiative was launched in 2021-22, prompted by the discovery that a municipal community hall was being misused for weddings by a former corporator. A contractor was subsequently hired to execute the project, but activists report that it appears to have stalled.
Vijay Kumbhar from Surajya Sangharsh Samiti, a citizens’ group, remarked, “The project has not delivered the desired results and seems to have been sidelined, especially as the civic body is initiating another round of mapping.” Sources indicate that another contract was issued earlier this year. Vasundhara Barve, head of the Pune Municipal Corporation’s estate department, clarified that groundwork for the mapping began six months ago. “This project is crucial for us, and we are expanding its scope,” she noted.
Activists and residents believe better access to information could have mitigated the misuse of PMC properties. They argue that issues like outdated contracts and unauthorized possession are causing revenue losses, urging the administration to be more vigilant about its assets, ultimately enhancing the effective use of taxpayer money.
Kumbhar criticized the civic body for its inadequate inspections and audits of properties. “This exercise has been proclaimed and performed multiple times over the last decade, yet PMC’s records remain unreliable. Some officials lack the motivation to utilize these properties for public benefit, as they generate illegal income,” he stated.
Anil Gharat, a social activist, emphasized the need for a thorough assessment of all municipal properties. “Former elected officials have taken key civic buildings for personal offices,” he commented. PMC officials maintain that there are specific rules governing the allocation of municipal spaces, asserting that properties should only be rented for a maximum of 30 years through a tender process, using ready reckoner rates as the base price.
Since the incident in 2021-22, numerous cases have emerged where civic officials allegedly misused these assets in collusion with local elected representatives. PMC officials have stated their intention to investigate the shortcomings of the contractor’s tender awarded five years ago.
PMC properties consist of civic buildings, open land, schools, parks, administrative offices, public utility halls, and municipal hospitals.
