The civic body has approached the Lok Adalat to recover the rent for its properties pending for years.
Many properties, including shops and residential flats, have gone out of the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) possession due to legal tussles with citizens who had taken them on rent. PMC officials said they would also take up with the Lok Adalat the cases related to the pay-and-park facilities.
“The civic body has for the first time approached the Lok Adalat to recover the pending rent. The aim is to look for fast disposal of the issues. More than one dispute can be resolved at one go at the Lok Adalat,” said Rajendra Muthe, head of the PMC’s estate and management department.
The PMC has planned to raise 70 cases during the first Lok Adalat. “More cases will be taken up in future,” he said.
Civic activists have questioned the efficacy of the initiative. “Measures such as approaching the Lok Adalat are good, but may not yield the expected results because the citizens can approach the higher courts. The civic administration should take steps, such as playing musical bands in front of buildings with pending rents,” said Vijay Kumbhar of citizens’ group Surajya Sangharsha Samittee.
“An automated system for the management of civic properties was announced in 2013. But its still on paper,” he said.
