Civic panel to take a call on plots for station infra by this weekend

PUNE: The city improvement committee of

Pune Municipal Corporation

has postponed its decision on providing land to the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MahaMetro).


The decision on 17 plots in municipal spaces is expected by this weekend.

MahaMetro has sought nearly 4,000sqm of land spread over different locations of the city. The authority wants possession of these plots for a 30-year period. The plots would be utilized to build stations, depots and underground routes.

“Most of these spaces sought by the MahaMetro are either in or near public gardens. The decision on allotting these spaces will be taken after receiving due permissions from various municipal committees. The space at Sambhaji Garden (on JM Road), Ramabai Ambedkar Garden, Nilu Phule Garden and other public parks is awaited,” said a senior civic official said.

A civic official said these plots together cost Rs20 crore. The docket presented before the city improvement committee on Wednesday stated that the cost would be deducted from PMC’s share of funding for the Metro project. As per the plan, PMC is supposed to provide Rs950 crore for the project.

According to guidelines put forth by the civic administration, MahaMetro would be responsible for safety and security in these municipal spaces. The spaces, which will be taken on a “working permission basis”, will have to be restored as soon the work on them is completed, the guidelines stated. MahaMetro will also have to ensure the work does not inconvenience people visiting these spaces.

A MahaMetro official said the open land will be used to set up rail

infrastructure

and allied facilities, like “parking, lifts, escalators”, and added, “The passengers of the Metro rail will be able to use these facilities.”

Sushil Mengde, head of the city improvement committee, told TOI that they have instructed MahaMetro officials to coordinate with the PMC officials concerned. “The details of the locations will be cross-verified. If there is any change or if alterations are required in the proposal, then they will be carried out before we give our final consent. The fresh docket will have to be tabled before the committee on February 16,” Mengde said.