Pune: Hadapsar's City Corporation (Amanora) had been given concessions in exchange for building 15% of its homes for low-income groups and handing it over to MHADA. However, it has come forward that the company has not handed over these homes to the needy. Thus, the concessions given to Anamora should be canceled and MHADA should take possession of the homes built until now and distribute them among the common people, demanded social activist Rahul Tupe.
Tupe has been following up on this issue for nine months. The state government permitted the City Corporation company's Amanora Park Town housing project in 2005 under a law named Nagari Jamin Kamal Dharana. Despite the law's cancellation in 2007, the concessions continued. Currently, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority handles the technical side of the project.
The PMRDA approved a revised project proposal in 2020. Tupe inquired to the PMRDA regarding concessions given to the project. According to the concession, 15% of the homes from the project will be reserved for low-income groups and transferred to MHADA for distribution. Tupe followed up with MHADA on this claim. After not getting a response from MHADA, Tupe resorted to filling an RTI. He was shocked to find out in the response that MHADA has not received a proposal from the City Corporation regarding the issue.
Then Tupe requested the PMRDA to take action on the matter but the authority has been unresponsive, according to him. Tupe has also filed a complaint to the Revenue Department's Secretary General and has requested to cancel the concession given to the company and take action. Additionally, he has also requested, that out of the 9000 homes built under the project, 15% (1000) homes should be given to MHADA to be distributed among common people. MHADA officials have maintained silence on the issue.
Amanora's silenceCity Corporation's Managing Director Aniruddha Deshpande could be reached while contacted for clarification. Some in the field are suggesting for the court, to take suo moto action. It has also been predicted that MHADA officials were pressurized to avoid the issue.
"The company has misused the concession and not reserved seats for the poor. Action should be taken. Will be fasting unto death if some steps are not taken."- Rahul Tupe, social activist, Sadesataranali, Hadapsar, Pune.
"I do not have information on the matter. We will brief soon."- Sunil Marale, an executive at PMRDA Planning Department