Uruli Devachi-Fursungi Nagar Palika | As most of the development works in Phursungi and Uruli Devachi are done, we don’t need a municipal corporation: Former Minister Vijay Shivtare

On Dec 9, 2022

Pune : NpNews24 Online – Uruli Devachi-Fursungi Nagar Palika | Most of the development works in the villages of Phursungi and Uruli Devachi have been done. Water supply will also start in the next two months. However, as the Pune Municipal Corporation(PMC) imposes property tax several times higher than the capacity of gram panchayats, the demand was to exclude these two villages from the PMC and make them independent municipalities. The municipality will have 40 local corporators and they will determine the property tax. The three TP schemes in these villages will be implemented by the civic body. Addressing a press conference, former minister Vijay Shivtare, the leader of ‘Balasahebanchi Shivsena’, claimed that there was no political agenda behind this decision.

In a meeting held in Mumbai on Tuesday in the presence of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, it was decided to exclude the villages of Phursungi and Uruli Devachi from the PMC and make them independent municipalities. Shivatare was insistent on this demand. He revealed this decision in a press conference.

Shivtare said that in 2017, the citizens of Phursungi and Uruli Devachi participated in the PMC to develop this area. But in the last five years, none of the roads, water supply, drainage lines and any other facilities have been provided by the PMC. On the contrary, the PMC started taking action against the defaulters by levying tax in both these villages at the Ready Reckoner rate of Hadapsar. The tax amount of the PMC is many times higher than the tax that was levied during gram panchayat. Complaints were also made to the Municipal Corporation and the State Government against this, but no action was taken. Hence, the matter was brought to the Chief Minister’s court. After getting information about the facts, CM Eknath Shinde decided to exclude these two villages and form a new municipality.

A new airport is coming up in Purandar. Therefore, this area will develop. In the first year itself, Rs. 250 crores will be generated from development fee. During my tenure as a minister, all roads and drainage lines have been completed in this area, which is part of my Purandar constituency. For water supply, 80 percent work has been done through State Drinking Water Scheme. So now we don’t need a municipal corporation. After becoming a municipality, the authority to determine taxes will be decided by the councilors of the municipality. It will become a Class A municipality. So we demanded the exclusion of villages.

Will Devachi Uruli municipal waste depot be closed? Commenting on this, Shivtare said that in yesterday’s meeting, consent was given on behalf of the villagers that the municipal corporation should operate the garbage depot in a scientific manner. The state government is trying to ensure that the site of the waste depot remains within the limits of the municipal corporation.

Vijay Sivatare refused to answer

During the BJP Shiv Sena coalition government, the then Chief Minister and Urban Development Minister Devendra Fadnavis in 2017 included 11 villages along with these two villages in the municipality.

For the last two-and-a-half years, the Maha Vikas Aghadi, with the participation of Shiv Sena, was in government in the state.

They included 23 villages in the PMC. According to the affidavit given in the Supreme Court, the government included these villages in the municipal corporation. Since 2019, these villages are getting property tax at an increased rate.
The present Chief Minister Eknath Shinde was the then Urban Development Minister.
But even during his time no decision was taken to reduce property tax. BJP was in power in the Municipal Corporation. But they too did not take any decision to reduce the property tax and send it to the government.
Why did the Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde and local BJP rulers fail to reduce income tax? Shivtare refused to answer this.
Shivtare explained it away saying that the decision to make an independent municipality was made as it was not within the scope of the municipal corporation to reduce income tax as per a provision in the law.

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