In an attempt to intensify their drive against land allotment for the proposed retirement home of president Pratibha Patil, the city-based Maaji Sainik Bhrashtachar Virodhi Manch (MSBVM) is planning to file a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay high court.
In a press conference organised in the city on Friday, the Manch’s founder-president Lt Col (retd) Suresh Patil said the PIL would urge the court to order that the land be be allotted for constructing residential colonies for homeless and poor ex-servicemen.
According to Suresh Patil, a total of 6 acres at Surveys numbers 26A and 26B, on the main Pune-Mumbai National Highway-4 in Khadki has been allotted to the president.
Recently, a city court had given a judgment in favour of the defence estate office (DEO) about this plot of land, where the president plans to settle after retirement. The court rejected the claims of a 78-year-old city resident, Pesi Shapoorji Anklesaria, that the 2.1 acres (Survey no 26-A) belonged to him.
Col Patil, who also runs an environment organisation, Green Thumb said, “The president of India is our commander-in-chief and we respect her, but so far not a single former president of India has received any plot from the government. After retirement, they lived in their respective residences only.”
According to Col Patil, there are 2.5 lakh homeless ex-servicemen across the state, of which 27,500 live in Pune district.
He said, “President Patil, as per her asset declaration, already has her own home in Amravati. So the allotted plot should be used for building housing colonies for homeless ex-servicemen in Pune.”
