KP police station gets an address

PMC land just 300 metres from German Bakery on North Main Road will be handed over to build the long-delayed police station, says Divisional Commissioner Dilip Band

Promised land: The plot identified for the Koregaon Park police station; (left) MiD DAY report yesterday questions the delay

It is official. The Koregaon Park police station will finally see the light of day as a plot of land has been identified for it after years of government dilly-dallying.

The plot is just about 300 metres from the German Bakery on the North Main Road, said Divisional Commissioner Dilip Band.

After the German Bakery blast on February 13 last year, politicians made promises on several occasions that they would offer government land for the police station, but nearly a year had to pass since the terror act for the government to zero in on a piece of land.

MiD DAY reported yesterday that Koregaon Park residents were unhappy with government departments and other authorities for not making available land under their control for the proposed police station. A day later, the decision on the plot for the police station was taken by Band after a meeting of senior officials from various government departments and the police.

Band said the "reservations" of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) regarding the handover of the plot had been dealt with and the approval of Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan would be sought tomorrow. The plot is currently in PMC possession.

The meeting at which the decision was taken was attended by District Collector Chandrakant Dalvi, Additional Commissioner of Police (Administration) Sanjeev Kumar Singhal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Rajesh Kumar Mor, Police Inspector M G Pathan, the Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), the Additional Commissioner (PMC), the Deputy Director of Town Planning and the Tehsildar.

Speaking to MiD DAY, Band said his officials had given top priority to finalising the location of the Koregaon Park police station. "For a year we were struggling to finalise the location of the police station. Now we have finally decided to give the necessary part of the land from Plot No. 330, Survey No. 33B for it," said Band. "Fixing the land plot was our topmost priority and now we have taken the final decision."

Plot not reserved
The PMC had initially objected to giving the plot in question, citing the reason that the plot was reserved for a sewage treatment plant (STP). Municipal Commissioner (Additional Charge) Nagesh Zurmure had raised this point in Monday's meeting too, saying the plot area was insufficient even for the STP.

"PMC's reservations about giving away the land have been dealt with and now the PMC has no issues," said Band. "We have made it clear to the PMC that the land is not reserved for the STP, but only is in possession of the PMC."

He said the next step would be to inform the state government about the decision. "CM Chavan is expected to visit the city on Thursday. We will put forward the proposal of this land plot to him and seek his approval on behalf of the state government," said Band.