Pune: Encroachment by IAS Puja Khedkar's family at Baner bungalow removed
The unauthorized construction outside the bungalow of IAS officer Puja Khedkar's family in Baner has been removed by the family.
Officials from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) issued a notice on Saturday regarding the illegal encroachment of a section of the footpath adjacent to their residence. The notice, addressed to Puja Khedkar's mother, Manorama Khedkar, was affixed to the gate of their home.
After conducting a survey of the encroached footpath area next to the bungalow's wall, PMC officials tried to contact the Khedkar family. However, receiving no response from the residents, the officials posted the notice directly on the wall. The notice specified that a 60x3-foot area of the footpath was unlawfully occupied, causing inconvenience to the public. It mandated the removal of the encroachment within seven days, warning that failure to comply would result in the PMC taking necessary action.
By Wednesday, the Khedkar family had removed the unauthorized construction as instructed.
Puja Khedkar, a Maharashtra cadre IAS officer, finds herself embroiled in increasing controversy. On Tuesday, the government suspended her 'district training program' and summoned her back to the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration for "necessary action." Khedkar is under investigation for alleged discrepancies in her disability and OBC certificates used to clear the IAS exam, as well as for her conduct during her tenure in the Pune collector's office.
Additionally, Khedkar has filed a harassment complaint against Pune district collector Suhas Diwase with Washim police, according to an official report on Tuesday.
Puja Khedkar, who achieved an All India rank of 821 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams, has been accused of misusing her authority. During her assignment as an assistant collector in Pune, she allegedly utilized facilities not permitted for probationary officers, such as using a red-blue beacon and displaying a "Maharashtra Government" board on her private Audi car.
