Achievements 

The Manch has played a proactive role in finalising the note on Comprehensive Transport Policy for Pune Metropolitan Region. One member of the Manch was a member of the committee for its preparation. The Commissioner has now placed the policy document before the general body of the PMC for approval.

The Manch has representation on the Traffic Advisory Committee of Pune Police.

 The Manch is also part of a committee formed by the PMC for preparing a comprehensive mobility plan (CMP) for PMR. Wilbur Smith Associates has prepared the CMP on behalf of IL&FS. The WSA has finalised the CMP and the GB has formed a committee of a member each from the representative political parties to consider it.

A member from the Manch is on the steering committee for preparation of Development Plan 2007 and is the convenor of its traffic & transportation sub-committee. The PMC is yet to finalise the DP.

The Manch has actively taken up with the PMC the question of encroachments on front margins/footpaths/pavements and unauthorised constructions. The Manch brought to the notice of the Municipal Commissioner the existence of a circular issued by the PMC in February 2001, which indirectly granted extra FSI to the builders and allows encroachments on footpaths/pavements by allowing construction of ottas in front of commercial shops. The PMC has now cancelled the circular. The Municipal Commissioner has accepted our suggestion to outsource the task of making consolidated lists of different types of encroachments and unauthorised constructions. Accordingly, the PMC has made a provision of Rs. 1 Crore for the task in the budget for F/y 2008-2009. The PMC has delegated the preparation of the lists to the ward officers. The Manch is continuously monitoring the removal of encroachments and unauthorised constructions.

Nagrik Chetna Manch succeeded in prevailing upon the Commissioner to curb misuse of official vehicles, especially outstation to places of tourist/religious interests by the councillors. Accordingly, the Commissioner issued a circular that a councillor may visit places outside PMC area only on written approval by the Mayor/Commissioner, failing which the administration would initiate disciplinary action against employees concerned who have permitted the vehicles to proceed outside PMC limits. Thus, Nagrik Chetna Manch succeeded in enabling the recovery of close to Rs. 75 Lakhs as dues from the councillors. The Manch continues to pressurise the PMC in this regard.

The Manch acts as a pressure group by continuously invoking the Right to Information Act, 2005 to get information and take up public interest litigations, where necessary. E.g. on expenses connected with official cars, holiday tours undertaken under the guise of study tours, construction of Bal Bharati-Paud Road, misuse of transfer of development rights at Kothrud, unauthorised constructions and encroachments, conversion of forest land into residential without authority, etc.

The Manch has pending court cases regarding unauthorised ‘study’ tours of the members of PMC Child Welfare & Women’s Committee (1/2005 Municipal Court) and the Tree Authority (772/05 Municipal Court) to recover from the members the costs because the amount for such unauthorised visits is from public funds. The District Court has dismissed the appeal filed by the Municipal Corporation on 3 April 2008 that the Municipal Court is not competent to hear the case. The Municipal Court has now resume hearings in the criminal case 1/2005. The hearings are in progress for the case 772/05.

The Manch filed a PIL (127/06) against the PMC for irregular grant of TDR for 36100 sq. ft amounting to about Rs. 60 Crores on 20 September 2006. The High Court has admitted the case. The Manch has succeeded in ensuring that the PMC approves the launching of prosecution against six public servants from the PMC. The Manch is now assisting its senior counsel to argue before the Hon’ble High Court that the irregularity could not have happened without the active collusion of senior officers in the PMC and that the Hon’ble High Court should pass appropriate orders in the matter.

Nagrik Chetna Manch has succeeded in obtaining a stay from Bombay High Court on the construction of Bal Bharati-Paud Road in its PIL (156/06) launched on 20 November 2006. The Municipal Corporation requested the Manch to discuss the issue rather than continue with the court case. Accordingly, an expert committee with members from the Manch and other institutions (Parisar, Gomukh, Pedestrian FIRST and CDSA) along with the officers concerned from the PMC (Road, Traffic and Garden Departments) with the Manch President as the Chair submitted its report on 10 October 2007. The major recommendations are that the PMC should carry out environmental impact assessment and establish its necessity by traffic studies and working out the ERR/IRR. In the last hearing on 28 February 2008, the Hon’ble Bombay HC took on record the report of the above committee. The PMC has now entered into an agreement with Shrishti Eco-Research Institute, Pune. Shrishti submitted its report in May 2010. In sum, it recommends construction of the Road provided no construction activity takes place along side it. We have major reservations about the manner in which Shrishti has prepared the report. We have submitted our comments to the PMC and now are awaiting a presentation by and an interaction with Shrishti.

The Manch filed a Interlocutory Application in the Supreme Court on 3 October 2007 in the Writ Petition (Civil) 202 of 1995 by IA No. 2079 / 2080 to restrain Richie Rich Cooperative Housing Society from carrying out any construction and non-forest activity on the land notified as reserved forest in Survey No. 21 (old 20) in District Pune. The land admeasures about 30 crores with its current value at over Rs. 600 Crores. The Supreme Court heard the case on 23 November 2007 and ordered issuance of notice and for Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to conduct inspection and submit its report. The CEC heard the case on 16 January 2008. During the hearing, the Nodal Officer Maharashtra Forest Department informed that the area in question is a notified forest area and the Government never de-reserved or diverted it for non-forestry purposes. It issued a letter on 21 February 2008 strongly advising the Chief Secretary, Maharashtra to stop immediately the non-forest activity going on in violation of the provisions of the Forest (Conversation) Act, 1980 and the Hon’ble Supreme Court order dated 12.12.96. The CEC also said that there would be a site visit. The status of the case is as follows:

• The Manch immediately sent a letter on 25 February 2008 (by name) to the Chief Secretary, Pune Divisional Commissioner, Pune District Collector and Commissioner PMC to stop the construction activity at the site in view of the CEC letter. The PMC issued a ‘stop-work’ notice on 5 March 2008 after personal intervention of the President. As the work continued, the Manch informed City Engineer accordingly on 14 March 2008. On the same day, the City Engineer lodged a complaint with the Police Sub Inspector Kondhwa Budruk Police Station and informed the Assistant Police Commissioner to ensure that the work stops on 18 March 2008. The work has stopped now.
• The CEC appointed Shri J. N. Saxena, former Principal CCF of Maharashtra as its invitee. Shri Saxena carried out discussions with the Revenue and Forest authorities in Pune and inspection of the site on 31 March and 1 April 2008. Both Mr. Saxena and later the CEC fully supported the contention of the Manch. The Supreme Court in its order dated 8 May 2009 appointed Shri E. N. Rammohan, I.P.S. and Director General of B.S.F. (Retd.) as the one Member S.I.T. The State of Maharashtra had no objection to this. The Supreme Court allowed Mr. Rammohan, to take the assistance of any person he desires and call for any documents/records or seek personal assistance of the concerned State Officer/State functionary in discharge of the duties. The Supreme Court asked the Special Investigating Team (SIT) to file its report for Pune Division preferably within a period of four months but the SIT has failed to do so.
• The matter came up for hearing before the Special Forest Bench of the Supreme Court on 5 February 2009. The bench comprises Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices S H Kapadia and Aftab Alam. The Bench discontinued the SIT (headed by E. N. Rammohan, former DG BSF) constituted by it on 8 May 200 and constituted a new SIT. Mr. Rammohan, some how never initiated the process. The Bench then heard the matter pertaining to 29 acres of reserved forestland at Kondhwa wherein advocate Harish Salve (amicus curie) started his arguments in the case by reading out parts of the CEC report. Harish Salve mentioned that the matter involved land worth more than one lakh crore and that in blatant violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; the State Government de-reserved the land for the housing project. One of the queries raised by the bench was the possibility of imposition of Net Present Value for the diverted forestland. The matter remained part heard. While the matter was on board on 5 and 12 November, the Bench did not hear it due to lack of time.

The Manch has launched, along with Parisar, a PIL (73/2010) in the Bombay High Court against indiscriminate construction of flyovers in Pune without carrying out studies mandated by the Indian Roads Congress and without catering for them in the Development Plan. There has not been any hearing in the case so far.

So far, the Manch has had good success in the court cases that it has taken up.

The Manch organised a seminar on “Ethics and Values towards Good Governance” on 30 March 2008. It was the best-attended event of the Manch with an attendance of over 220 persons.

Nagrik Chetna Manch conducted a workshop in September 2001 for the engineers of PMC on construction and repairs of roads including the norms for speed breakers etc.

Nagrik Chetna Manch conducted a seminar on Earthquake Relief & Rescue Plan on 4 March 2001.