PMC files caveat against MIT in dist court; resumes clearing of debris on Vetal tekdi

PUNE After a local court on Monday rejected a plea filed by Maharashtra Academy of Engineering & Educational Research (MAEER) MIT seeking a stay on removal of debris by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) at Vetal tekdi, the PMC resumed excavation of the illegal road on the hillslope today.

The PMC also filed for a caveat in the district court. “According to section 148A of CPC caveat petition as a precautionary measure taken by a person who holds a strong fear or uneasiness that some or the other case against him/her is going to be filed in the court of law regarding any manner. We have filed caveat praying that no order be passed without due notice under section 148 A of the Code of Civil Procedure to the Corporation in any application for stay / injunction / ad-interim injunction / temporary injunction etc. in any application likely to be filed before this district Court, by MIT,” said Manjusha Idhate, chief law officer, PMC.

Advocate Sanjay Murkute of the PMC added that this was done as a precaution.

“Because MIT may file an appeal against the order passed by PMC court and seek exparte injunction orders against the corporation, we have filed a caveat,” he said.

At the site, PMC junior engineer Ramdas Pawar along with two PMC security personnel were present to oversee the work.

Pawar said, “We began the work at 10 am, but took a long time to level the illegal road as it was difficult for the JCB. We have just begun, there is enough rubble laid on the hillslope which will need more than one dumper. This dumper can take seven tonnes of debris and by the looks of the debris, it will take more than 50 trips to get rid of the rubble used to make the kaccha road.”

Annirudha Khandekar, a resident living in the society overlooking the tekdi said, “The rubble put for making the illegal road is atleast 10 to 15 feet raised above the actual hill slope and our worry is that if the rubble and debris is not removed then the large boulders could come rolling straight into the societies close by, some stones have already broken part of a wall of a society.”

While residents Kiran Vairagkar and Dipti M added: “Hill slopes and hill top areas are prohibited for any type of construction. We expect the restoration to happen at a fast face. It was a cohesive efforts of all citizens with the PMC to get justice.”

On November 19, 2020, the PMC had served a stop-work notice to the Maharashtra Institute of Technology (MIT), citing unauthorised work on the hill slope at survey no 123 in Kothrud. The MIT denied reports that any norms are being flouted while carrying out the work.

Following the campaign by residents, which, within 48 hours managed to get 30,000 signatures for a petition to save Vetal tekdi, which is also marked by PMC as a draft heritage site, PMC issued strict instructions to MIT officials to excavate the “internal road”, as well as clear the debris collected nearby housing societies.

A stop-work notice was issued to MIT citing unauthorised work on the hill slope at survey number 123 in Kothrud, following which the PMC had dug up the road being constructed and ordered the institute to clear the debris within two days.

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