Panvel: A community centre built by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) in Kamothe has remained largely unused for years, despite being constructed at a cost of around Rs 4 crore for the benefit of local residents. The Prahar organisation has now warned of an indefinite hunger strike from December 2 if the Panvel Municipal Corporation (PMC) fails to open the facility for public use.
The multi-purpose building, located in Sector 21 of Kamothe, was completed in 2018 and subsequently handed over to the PMC. It was conceived as a social and cultural centre where residents could organise weddings, cultural programmes and other community activities at affordable rates. However, the facility has not been made accessible to the general public even several years after its completion.
Residents Question Continued Closure Of Centre
The issue has resurfaced after the PMC shifted the operations of its 'C' ward office to new premises, leaving the community centre building without its earlier administrative use. Residents have expressed disappointment that a facility developed specifically for community activities is not serving its intended purpose.
Residents had earlier approached CIDCO seeking a dedicated community space, as organising weddings, social gatherings and cultural events at private halls involves considerable expenditure. However, despite the construction of the facility, they continue to depend on privately operated venues.
Prahar Warns Of Indefinite Hunger Strike
Dr Sunil Shirishkar, Raigad district vice-president of the Prahar organisation, recently met PMC Commissioner Mangesh Chitale and demanded that the centre be opened to residents without further delay. Although the civic body has started a medical service centre and a data centre in the building, the facility is yet to be made available for its original purpose as a community centre, he said.
"Residents have to spend considerable amounts on private halls to organise weddings and social activities. Making this centre available to the public would address their inconvenience. If the civic administration does not open the facility immediately, we will launch a hunger strike from December 2," Shirishkar said.
Ekta Social Organisation has also been pursuing the matter with CIDCO and the PMC for the past five years, demanding that the community centre be made accessible to the public. However, the continued denial of access to the facility has caused resentment among local residents.
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Three-Storey Facility Remains Underutilised
The building was designed to accommodate a range of community activities across its three floors. The ground floor has a green room, office, kitchen and a multipurpose auditorium. The first floor has provisions for cultural classes, workshops for children and a doctor's room. The second floor has space for indoor games, a library and workshops.
Despite the infrastructure being in place, residents are yet to benefit from the facility, prompting renewed demands for the civic administration to make it operational as originally intended.
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