‘They sought my removal calling me heartless… govt said being heartless not disqualification for officer’

The state government had enquired with us as to whether the divisional commissionerate has the required capacity to hold a joint session of state legislature to mark the historic occasion since the first state session was held in 1930s. We had conveyed to the state government that we can make necessary seating arrangements for the legislators. But we did not have separate cabins for chief minister and deputy chief minister. However,since Assembly Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil has already denied such a possibility,I don’t think it is happening in Pune.

NISHA NAMBIAR: What’s the latest on the airport project and what is your role in this?

I’m the coordinator of the project. The MADC,the nodal agency for acquiring land for the airport project,has submitted a proposal to the state government for acquiring 2,700 hectares of land for the purpose. The land has also been identified,but we won’t reveal it until the entire procedure is completed. This is because the moment we make it public,there will be protests and then the plan might crumble. But I can tell you that the land is neither in Chakan nor in Rajgurunagar. It’s somewhere between Chakan and Rajgurunagar. Also,the airport is definitely happening. But it will take at least four years to start the project and nearly 10 years for its completion. Designing itself will take two years. Besides,who will implement the project—private parties,MIDC or the government—will have to be decided. The first stage is land acquisition.

MANOJ MORE: Alandi,the second most popular religious town in Maharashtra,is grappling with numerous civic problems. As divisional commissioner what have you done to alleviate its misery?

The plan for three towns,including Alandi and Pandharpur,is in place. Tenders have been floated and the work will start soon. We wanted to begin the work earlier,but because of the palkhi we decided to start it in September. The government has sanctioned over Rs 400 crore for the three places. In Alandi,we will initiate a road project which includes widening and relaying, water supply scheme,garbage clearance,construction of sewage treatment plant and garden project. Alandi will change completely and it will look like a city.

MANOJ MORE: Recently,when Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan’s wife visited Pandharpur,she said Pandharpur is what it used to be 40 years ago when she first visited the town. Your comment.

That is her personal comment. I wouldn’t say anything on that. But again as I said the government has sanctioned Rs 150 crore for it. For the first time,we have proposed that we should develop a city on the other side of Chandrabhaga river. I have proposed that the town planning scheme be made applicable since acquisition of land creates trouble.

MANOJ MORE: What is town planning scheme ?

The scheme has already been approved by the government over a year-and-a-half ago. It gives a win-win situation both for the government and the person whose land is being acquired. The scheme involves taking the land from the owner and developing it. It envisages selling 15 per cent of the land,of which amenities like gardens can be set up and returning the developed 40 per cent to the land owner. The land owner is not put at loss. He also gets the advantage of FSI. The government does not have to acquire the land. Ahmedabad has developed a ring road on the basis of the town planning scheme in a period of three years. Similarly,we will plan for Pandharpur and Alandi as well.

AJAY KHAPE: What about the Metro project. How far has it reached?

I hope the town planning scheme will be made available to the project for easy acquisition of the land.

NISHA NAMBIAR: Why is there a delay in setting up of the PMRDA?

There is no consensus on it. I had submitted the proposal that PMRDA be set up like MMRDA in Mumbai with an initial capital of Rs 60 crore. The PCNTDA,which has a fund of Rs 400 crore,can be merged with the PMRDA. There is no unanimity as to who should head this. PCNTDA is under the control of Congress. As per norms,the guardian minister should head the PCNTDA,but as per precedent the chief minister should head it.

AJAY KHAPE: What is your take on toll nakas?

I’m not in favour of toll nakas. They are a nuisance. We should not go for BOT project. Instead,we should go for projects on annuity basis. We had done this in Pimpri-Chinchwad. If the civic bodies don’t have money but want to create infrastructure,they should first create it and pay the contractor in the next five years. At toll nakas,the firms are earning lots of money as they are given charge for 10-20 years. This is not done.

SUNANDA MEHTA: As you are set to retire this year,looking back which would you say has been your most challenging tenure?

The PCMC and Osmanabad rehabilitation,which was very challenging. Osmanabad was concerned as a punishment posting. I was forced to go there. It was a World Bank project. Staying in a village,coordinating with different agencies and officials and finally constructing thousands of structures was a completely different experience. It gave me a name. Then I have also served the CEO in Satara and had a very short tenure in Aurangabad. In PCMC,I spent six months planning demolition of illegal structures. I noticed that the maximum tender floated in PCMC was of Rs 10 crore which was considered too big and it was for Thermax Road. When I went there,I told everyone that Pimpri-Chinchwad was a village–the roads were in a terrible state and were being remade every year. We spent around Rs 100 crore on Pune-Mumbai Highway. You should have a look at the state of the highway. The result that in last five years,the PCMC was not required to spend anything on the road. The Indian Express criticised me initially over the potholed roads. I have still preserved those paper cuttings. Every day,the paper was writing against me. Then when the road changed face, I got good reports. . Despite criticism,I kept my cool and worked on improving the state of roads… Pimpri-Chinchwad became a city. After all,people will believe what is visible to them.

SUNANDA MEHTA: Was there any pressure on you during the demolition drive ?

The demolition drive was a big challenge. I first identified the “veterans” whose structures obstructed the highway widening. I attacked the structures of bigwigs like Azam Pansare,Jagdish Shetty,Mayor Mangala Kadam….when these dignified could not resist,then there was no opposition. I was called a ruthless,heartless person. They said “Ha manus hriday shonya ahain” (This man is heartless). The proposal for my removal was sent to the government,but the government said being heartless is not a disqualification for an officer.

I will cite the case of Bhosari flyover as to how we went about the task. Some parties had gone to the chief minister requesting him the shifting of the Nashik Highway so that several structures could be spared. When the CM asked me,I told him that the highway cannot be shifted. They (the parties) branded me as an Ajit Pawar man. The CM said,”You are saying no to me,but if someone else makes the same request,you will say yes.”

The issue had gone to the court which granted a stay on the demolition drive for the day on which the case came up for hearing. The next day the parties had planned to go for a revision petition for a longer stay. It was a challenge as the next day my team landed in Bhosari at 6 am and demolished 90 per cent of the structures along the highway by 5 pm. The copy of the stay had come to me by afternoon and I passed it on to the officials. But by the time,the officials received the copy at 5 pm,90 per cent of the structures along the highway had been demolished. Later,the residents themselves requested us to demolish the remaining 10 per cent structures. But I requested them to get the stay vacated which they later did paving the way for the widening of highway.

AJAY KHAPE: What was the difference between functioning of PCMC and PMC?

Functioning of PCMC is more positive. If positive people are there,things become easy. It is easy to convince a layman than the educated. Every person has his view,then you have to spend time finding a proper way out. The controversy over left and right door for buses on BRTS routes is a case in point. It was a campaign against me launched by some journalists. But when they went to Ahmedabad and returned from there,they started concurring with my views about which side the doors should be. In PCMC,I faced opposition in changing the name of the town to New Pune. I want to change the name because if you go outside Pimpri-Chinchwad,nobody knows the town; also,nobody even can spell it.. There was anger against me after I made the proposal,some people made unsavoury remarks against me. It was later given up.

AADITI JATHAR: A special investigation team (SIT) has been set up to probe the ULC scam. Your were assigned the task of providing office and infrastructure to the team. What is the status ?

The facility has been provided,but since there is a Supreme Court stay if SIT should investigate the case or not,we will wait till the stay is vacated.

SUNANDA MEHTA: Any plans to join politics after retirement?

Some papers have been writing on it. I have no such plans. I’ll do better by getting into farming by ensuring that the produce directly goes to the consumers and the middleman is eliminated.