AAP says Rs 2.04 crore fine for digging road in Balewadi unpaid for three years, accuses PMC of leniency

A fine of Rs 2.04 crore imposed on a developer for digging a public road in Balewadi, Pune, without permission has not been paid even after more than three years. The delay has put the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) under questioning. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleges that the civic body is going easy on a well-known builder.

AAP has given the PMC seven days to recover the amount. The party has warned that it will launch an agitation if this is not done.

The party says the PMC is shielding the developer of the Kasturi Spaces project in the Mahalunge-Balewadi area. According to AAP, the developer dug up a 650-metre asphalt road on Survey No. 45 in Balewadi to lay an electric cable. No prior permission was taken from the civic body for this.

In 2023, the PMC's roads department imposed a fine of Rs 2,04,82,560 on the project owner, Bharat Agarwal. The department had also asked the building department to halt construction on the project and work on related permissions until the fine was paid.

AAP alleges that this stop-work order was never enforced and construction continued on site. According to the party, the fine has still not been recovered.

The party has also alleged that senior officials let the notice remain only on paper to protect the builder. It claims that files on the matter were deliberately buried at the administrative level because of an alleged financial arrangement. These are the party's allegations, and the PMC has not responded to them directly.

The project is reportedly close to receiving its occupancy certificate. The roads department says it will not issue the certificate until the fine is paid.

Raviraj Kale, state president of AAP's youth wing, demanded that the PMC recover the fine with interest within seven days and register criminal cases against those responsible. He said that otherwise the party would stage a demonstration at the PMC headquarters.

Kale asked, "Why does the civic body that squeezes ordinary citizens become helpless before billionaire builders?"

He said the PMC promptly seals ordinary people's properties over minor tax arrears, but has taken no strict action in this case. The party wants action against the officials who protected the unauthorised work as well.

Rajesh Bankar, head of the PMC's roads department, said the matter would be investigated without delay. He said, "I am directing that the matter be investigated immediately and further action taken."

Repeated attempts were made to obtain the developer's side, but they could not be reached. Their response will be added when received.