The College of Engineering, Pune’s (CoEP) is all set to get the nod from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) for its long-pending SRA project on Patil Estate slum area. The CoEP will thus become the only educational institute to execute an SRA project, according to the institute.
Recently, the PMC standing committee approved a proposal to hand over its plot No. 66 with an area of 2,612.29 sq m to the CoEP for development under the SRA scheme.
The CoEP obtained the land measuring around five acres in 1987. Around two years ago, it received a nod from the state education department.
Recently, the institute sought an adjacent piece of land owned by the PMC. Professor Bhalchandra Birajdar of the CoEP, said, “Many years ago, the CoEP gave its land to the PMC to construct a bridge. We did not ask for a single penny in return. The remaining five acres of land is adjacent to 30 gunthas of PMC land. We demanded the land from the PMC in exchange of the land we gave them to construct a bridge.”
Hemant Rasane, PMC standing committee chairman, said, “We have approved the transfer of the land in a recent meeting. Now the general body will take the decision.”
The general body meeting, which is taking place online, had the subject up for discussion. Ganesh Bidkar, leader of the house in the PMC, said, “There was some technical issue due to which very few subjects were discussed.
Handing over the PMC’s land to the CoEP was one of the subjects we couldn’t discuss but everything is clear. The body will take a decision on it in the next meeting. We are all positive about the development.”
The CoEP is also positive about the development of the land. They have made a plan, appointed a consultant for the survey and taken steps needed for the final approval of the SRA. “We are ready with the plan. There is one glitch, which the SRA has to solve.
Everywhere in the SRA scheme in Maharashtra, slum-dwellers get a 300 sq ft flat. But according to norms, in Pune the area of the unit should be around 275 sq ft. The residents of the Patil Estate demanded 300 sq ft area for each unit. But it was not possible hence we applied to the SRA office demanding a change in the flat area to 300 sq ft,” Birajdar added.
Rajendra Nimbalkar, chief executive officer of SRA, told , “We have processed the application. The state government is positive and by next month the final decision will be taken.”
BB Ahuja, director of the institute, said, “Our first priority is to give housing to the slum-dwellers. Then we plan to build a hostel or staff quarters.”