Merger Of Pune And Khadki Cantonment Boards In PMC Halted Over Property Ownership Dispute
Merger Of Pune And Khadki Cantonment Boards In PMC Halted Over Property Ownership Dispute
20 August 2024
The suggested merger of the Khadki and Pune Cantonment Boards into the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has faced major delays because of an ongoing dispute regarding property ownership in the cantonment areas. Despite the central government providing a framework for the merger, the process has been put on hold, as the municipal corporation demands that the ownership of lands and assets within the cantonment boundaries be transferred to its authority.
Last month, the municipal corporation received official directives to move forward with the transfer, which led to a meeting involving officials from the municipal corporation, cantonment boards, and district administration.
During this meeting, decisions were made about delegating responsibilities to different departments, and the relevant departments were informed by the corporation.
While this process was in progress, the state’s urban development department conducted an online meeting with municipal officials, where the corporation brought up the issue of property ownership.
The municipal corporation has requested that ownership rights for existing hospitals, parks, amenity spaces, markets, and other civic projects be transferred to the corporation in order for it to provide civic services. The state government has communicated this issue to the defense department, but no decision has been reached yet, resulting in a delay in the merger of the boards.
Once the merger is finalized, the municipal corporation’s area will expand by 1,500 square kilometers, and the population is anticipated to increase by 80,000 to 90,000 residents.
