PUNE, 8 NOV. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram is currently touring various parts of the city and engaging with citizens. During his inspection, he observed that the Parvati Assembly constituency has the highest number of encroachments. Commissioner Ram clearly stated that "a special campaign to remove these encroachments will be launched soon. Following this, approximately 20 per cent additional space on city roads will become available for traffic."
More than two lakh unauthorized vendors are active in the city. Under the National Street Vendors Policy, PMC used to issue certificates to street vendors after collecting an annual fee. However, this registration process has been stopped for the past few years, leading to a rapid increase in illegal stalls, hawkers, and food stalls on the city's roads.
On most roads, vegetable vendors, fruit vendors, and food stalls have taken over, often due to political patronage. This not only disrupts traffic but also causes immense hardship for pedestrians. The PMC's Encroachment Department claims that licensed street vendors have been rehabilitated in 525 zones to prevent them from obstructing road traffic. However, in the Parvati Assembly constituency, unauthorized hawkers and small traders have extensively occupied roads and footpaths without permission. This is why Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, after his inspection, pointed out that "the highest number of encroachments were found in the Parvati Assembly constituency."
Smart City Project Aggravated the Problem
In recent years, under the pretext of the Smart City project, city roads were narrowed and footpaths were widened, which inadvertently provided more space for encroachers. Citizens are now forced to walk on the main roads instead of the footpaths that are rightfully theirs, significantly increasing the risk of accidents.
PMC and Police to Launch Joint Campaign
Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram stressed that "the number of unauthorized traders on roads and footpaths is rapidly increasing. The situation is most critical in the Parvati Assembly constituency." He announced that the Municipal Corporation and the Police Administration will conduct a joint anti-encroachment drive. He reiterated that after the rehabilitation process, 20 per cent additional space will be available for traffic.
'Honourable' Interventions Stalling Action
According to sources, anti-encroachment action is often hampered by the intervention of local leaders and corporators in many areas. These politicians allegedly help their supporters set up illegal businesses to secure them space. Despite the Pune Municipal Corporation's corporator body being dissolved and an administrative rule being in place for the past three years, encroachments have surged. This raises the question: "Who is ultimately blessing these encroachments?"
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