Residents from Kalyani Nagar, Baner, Pashan, Viman Nagar and surrounding areas came together to highlight the severe issues of disturbances caused by pubs, bars and commercial establishments, operating illegally without proper permits.
The meeting with Additional Commissioner of Police Manoj Patil, Superintendent of Excise Charan Singh Rajput, DCP Himmat Jadhav and other officials was held on Tuesday.
The residents first submitted formal complaints to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni, detailing the harassment citizens are facing due to noise pollution and illegal commercial activities. The residents highlighted the severe impact on senior citizens, students preparing for exams and overall public health due to constant disturbances.
During the meeting, MP Medha Kulkarni took a firm stance in support of the residents and assured that strict action would be taken against the violators. Kulkarni also sought the files pertaining to the permissions granted to bars, pubs and liquor shops by the police, Pune Municipal Corporation, Excise Department and District Collectorate and asked the authorities to conduct a fresh survey of the licenses granted.
The issues raised included illegal rooftop restaurants, bars and pubs, rolling back of the operation time of such establishments to 11:30pm from 1:30am, changing of land use from residential to commercial, which has resulted in opening of restaurants, bars and pubs in residential buildings, sale of alcohol in buildings in residential areas near societies, schools and temples, open drinking of alcohol in residential areas, harassment of women by drunkards and encroachments on footpaths and roads by stalls near alcohol shops.
