Hearing on draft ward structure concludes
Pune's draft ward structure faced 5,922 objections, but only 828 attended the hearing. Key concerns included natural boundaries and ward divisions.
Pune: While the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) received 5,922 objections to the draft ward structure, only 828 citizens turned up at the hearing that took place at Balgandharva Auditorium on Thursday and Friday.
The state government’s representative and additional chief secretary of general administration V Radha conducted the hearing and listened to objections during the two-day hearing that concluded on Friday. Pune municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, additional municipal commissioner Omprakash Diwate, deputy commissioner of election cell Prasad Katkar were present.
Radha and Ram said, “We will soon submit the report.”
According to officials, the highest objections of 2,137 were received for ward number 34 and only 77 citizens remained present to put their views. Most objections were related to the ward structure not following natural boundaries like waterbodies and highways. It raised various concerns, including one slum getting divided into two to three wards.
For the upcoming civic polls, PMC will have 41 wards to be represented by 165 elected members. Of the 41 wards, residents from 40 will elect four corporators each, while the Ambegaon–Katraj ward will elect five corporators owing to its larger population. In the previous term, PMC had 162 corporators.
