Pune: Real estate is only thriving business today, says Raj Thackeray

Pune: MNS President Raj Thackeray on Monday interacted with flood-affected people in the city. He came down heavily on the administration and asked if the state government would ever attend to people’s woes.

Following his visit to the flood-affected area, he addressed the media. Thackeray said, “The State Government needs to help the flood-affected people. So much water was released but citizens were not alerted. I saw it for myself. It is a pathetic picture in people’s houses. The government should do something. Many people’s vehicles were washed away. They were not insured. Insurance companies are rejecting claims saying it was a natural disaster.

“It took time for the destruction of Mumbai but Pune will be destroyed early. There is no planning. How many vehicles are added? How many students study in the city? Where do they stay? Where do they park their vehicles? Plans need to be made. It is all a part of town planning. Dealing in vacant land is thriving here. It is not stopping. Pune is not one city. There are five cities today. Nobody is attending to this.

“There is one more reason for this. The civic elections have not been held for the past 2-3 years. Corporators are not there. Who will talk to the administration? It is a rule by the administration, which should be held responsible for this. Local people are forced to beg and people from outside the State settle here. Is this called the rule by the government? Same thing is happening in Mumbai.

‘Issues won’t be solved by suspensions’

Sanitation workers from Panvel and Thane are brought here. Pune should feel ashamed. Suspending an officer will not solve the issue. Diseases will spread in the affected areas. Who will attend to them? State ministers should attend to them. A joint meeting of government agencies is not held. Somebody is laying a pipeline. Somebody is building a footpath. Tenders are floated for all these works. Work is merely done because somebody is getting money. Former corporators should do something about this.”

‘All issues can be solved’

He said, “Why don’t you discuss a project with citizens before it is launched? Journalists are also not consulted. I had made a presentation in the PMC. People attended it. It was transparent. Whether it is the Riverfront Development or any other plan, people should know its details. Ignoring differences, various party leaders should come together for the sake of the city.”

‘It does not augur well for Maharashtra’

Raj Thackeray said, “There is no fear of law. The hit-and-run in Kalyani Nagar happened. Nobody talks about the victims or their parents. Reports are published only about the minor boy involved in it. Criminals are so emboldened that they are attacking the police. Where is the law? Votes are garnered by dividing castes. This is not good for Maharashtra.”