NCP factions take Biodiversity Parks stance to Maharashtra leaders

PUNE: The warring factions of the city unit of the Nationalist Congress Party ( NCP) have approached the state leadership to defend their respective stands on the Biodiversity Parks (BDP).

A group of NCP corporators, led by its leader in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Subhash Jagtap, on Thursday, approved a proposal to scrap the BDP by allowing 10% construction. A faction, led by city unit chief Vandana Chavan, had strongly opposed the move.

"We stand by the approved proposal. The BDP must be scrapped and 10% construction allowed in this area as many small farmers will lose their land and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has no mechanism to protect the BDP from encroachments. After a few years, the entire area will be full of slums and there will be no BDP. We have moved the proposal saying that if land owners are allowed to construct on 10 % of the land, they will happily protect the trees," said a party corporator who voted for the proposal.

The group, which approached state leaders, complained that Chavan was completely disconnected from the party and corporators and is working in isolation against the sentiments of the party's workers.

Chavan has taken a strong stand. "There are some leaders in the party who are deliberately creating a controversy. The NCP's stand on the BDP was decided by the party leadership. NCP president Sharad Pawar and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar have already made this stand clear. However, leaders with vested interests are putting pressure on corporators to support the anti-BDP stand," said Chavan. She added that citizens have supported the BDP and it was on top of the agenda of citizens.

Sources in the party said the anti-Chavan faction is pushing for her resignation from the post as city unit chief. In July, some corporators had sought her resignation. The demand was rejected by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.