Small businesses in Pune’s industrial zones are facing the possibility of closure as the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has issued notices to companies in Chikhali, Kudalwadi, Pawar Vasti, and Jadhavwadi, demanding the removal of any illegal constructions within 15 days. This move has sparked widespread concern among local entrepreneurs, who fear the loss of their long-standing businesses, with potential job losses for thousands of workers.
The notice has provoked a strong response from the entrepreneurial community, with citizens in Chikhali-Kudalwadi, Pimpri-Chinchwad, who protested against the demolition of unauthorized constructions. Around 500 people blocked Chikhali-Moshi Road, demanding a halt with many warning of a large-scale protest if action is taken. Entrepreneurs, already struggling with challenges like electricity shortages and poor infrastructure, now face the added pressure of dealing with municipal actions against their establishments.
A meeting was convened in Chikhali with officials from the Pimpri-Chinchwad Small Entrepreneurs Association to discuss a strategy for protest. The gathering, attended by key figures such as Sandeep Belshare, Jayant Kad, and Sanjay Jagtap, focused on organizing resistance. Entrepreneurs in the area have voiced that around 2,000 small businesses and 20,000 workers rely on these industries for their livelihood, with the total population of approximately 150,000 dependent on these businesses for sustenance.
Many of these companies have been operating for over 25 years, with entrepreneurs investing their own capital in the absence of available land from the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC). Despite paying property taxes and contributing to state and central government revenues, these businesses now face the risk of being shut down.
Sandeep Belshare, president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Small Entrepreneurs Association, expressed his frustration, stating, "Businesses that have been running for 25 to 30 years are suddenly being declared illegal by the PCMC. We are paying taxes and dues, and the notice is unjust. If this crackdown continues, we will have no choice but to resort to city-wide protests."