'Land acquisition delay a stalling tactic'

PUNE: While the PMC's non-allocation of funds to Biodiversity Parks (BDPs) is a concern, the body still has plenty of time to acquire the land, said urban planner and one of the leaders of Green Pune Movement, Aneeta Gokhale-Benninger.
There are, however, other concerns like illegal encroachments, she added. "The PMC still has 10 years to acquire the land.However, that does not mean the civic body can allow construction to be carried out in the demarcated BDP areas," she told TOI.
Asked about the reply from PMC about the delay in acquiring land due to compensation decisions, she said, "The delay in land acquisition appears to be a stalling tactic to not let BDPs get developed. However, they will not succeed as that is the law laid down by the state government."
CM Devendra Fadnavis had in August 2015 passed a notification stating that in order to protect hills and hill-tops, they would be reserved as BDPs.
"The land acquisition can be sped up if landowners come forth and say they want their land acquired and mention what they see as fair compensation," she added. Biologist Savhin Punekar said the authorities need to finish planning and start acting at the earliest. "These areas, though reserved, may face severe consequences from the delay. The hills are our last chance at protecting, if not bettering the climate and clean air in Pune," he said.