Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad voters unmoved by 'hypothetical' promises

As the campaign for the Pune and PimpriChinchwad civic elections enters its final phase political parties have intensified their outreach with a fresh round of promises However many voters say they are no longer persuaded by what they describe as repetitive unrealistic and electioncentric assurances that have failed to translate into action over the yearsFrom longpending infrastructure issues to a surge in ldquofree servicerdquo announcements voters across the cities are questioning the credibility intent and financial feasibility of the pledges being made in the last leg of campaigninglsquoRed Zonersquo issue A repeated promise without resolutionOne of the most contentious and longstanding concerns resurfacing during the campaign is the lsquoRed Zonersquo restriction around the Dehu Road ammunition depot and the Dighi magazine depot The 2000yard prohibited zone has affected nearly three lakh property owners in several parts of PimpriChinchwad for decades restricting sale redevelopment and utilisation of permissible floor space index FSIDespite repeated assurances across elections residents say the issue remains unresolvedSayali Chandorkar a resident of Sector 21 in Nigdi expressed frustration over what she termed ldquorecycled promisesrdquoldquoAt every election we are told that the Red Zone issue will finally be resolved Neither the BJP Bharatiya Janata Party nor the NCP Nationalist Congress Party alliances have delivered on this Our properties cannot be sold and we are unable to use new FSI norms for redevelopment The Red Zone marking on our properties was imposed nearly four decades ago If the BJP was in power in the PCMC PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporation for so many years why was the problem not solved then Why make the same promise again nowrdquo she askedThe issue had also figured prominently in the 2017 municipal elections when senior BJP leaders including then Defence Minister late Manohar Parrikar had assured a resolution However the final Red Zone map has remained mired in bureaucratic delays with residents alleging that it has been ldquostuck in red taperdquo for over a yearChief Minister Devendra Fadnavis while campaigning in Akurdi for BJP candidates once again assured citizens that the matter would be addressedmdashan announcement that has drawn scepticism from voters who say they have heard similar assurances during every Lok Sabha assembly and municipal electionFree travel free services mdash at what costAlongside unresolved civic issues political parties have rolled out a slew of free service promises particularly related to public transport housing and healthcareAlmost every major party has announced some form of free bus or metro travel triggering a debate on sustainability and financial planningBJP has promised free Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited PMPML bus travel for citizens above 75 years and free health checkups for those above 30The Congress has announced free city bus travel for women and property tax waivers for homes up to 500 square feetShiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena MNS have promised free bus travel for women and senior citizens along with free medicines for select ration card holdersNCP leader Ajit Pawar has gone a step ahead promising free metro and PMPML travel as well as free tablets for studentsWhile these promises may sound appealing voters and civic experts are raising questions about implementation and fundingResidents point out that the Pune and PimpriChinchwad municipal corporationsrsquo annual budgets stand at around Rs 12000 crore nearly 50ndash60 per cent of which is spent on salaries and routine maintenance With limited funds left for capital development voters are questioning how additional free schemes will be financed without affecting essential civic servicesSamir Kale a resident of Bavadhan said ldquoAsk anyonemdashwho will bear the cost of these free services Will it come at the expense of road repairs waste management pollution control or water supply Voters are not fools that netas can announce anything and people will believe itrdquoVoters also pointed out that none of the parties has clearly explained how these schemes will be funded or whether budgetary provisions have been planned reinforcing the perception that the promises are aimed more at electoral gains than longterm governanceMany residents argue that instead of focusing on freebies political parties should prioritise basic civic issues that directly impact daily lifemdashcratered roads traffic congestion encroachments on footpaths rising air pollution and mounting garbage dumpsWhile campaign focus has largely remained on core city areas residents of newly developed suburbs say they continue to be deprived of basic amenities Highrise buildings have come up rapidly in areas such as Kiwale Ravet and Mamurdi but civic infrastructure has failed to keep paceSantosh Tiwari a resident of Mamurdi told middaycom ldquoMamurdindashKiwale has seen rapid development with highrise housing new residential communities and an international cricket stadium However basic civic amenities have not kept pace Given its location along the MumbaindashPune Expressway preserving a green belt is essential to reduce noise and air pollutionldquoThe area lacks parks for senior citizens and playgrounds for children and youth while safe walking and jogging tracks are urgently needed Nonfunctional street lights unsafe pedestrian roads frequent waterlogging during monsoon and a rising stray dog population raise serious safety concerns especially for roundtheclock commutersldquoWater distribution needs urgent revision to match the growing population The MCA Stadium should be equipped for multiple sports with proper crowd and traffic management during major matches Establishing a police chowky is also essential to strengthen law and order Addressing these issues will significantly improve the quality of life and help MamurdindashKiwale emerge as a model urban neighbourhoodrdquo