On 22nd September 2024, Maya Ranavare, the President of APAL, and representatives from the Maharashtra Kusht Sanghatana, recently held a meeting with Honorable MLA Annasaheb Bansode, Pimpri Vidhan Sabha, to address the pressing issue of rehabilitating leprosy patients residing in the impoverished urban leprosy colony situated in Niradhar Nagar, Pimpri, Pune-411018. This colony has been home to leprosy patients who have been marginalized by society and their families for over 50 years. Despite the provision of basic amenities such as electricity, water, and roads by the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), the residents continue to grapple with significant challenges due to their economic vulnerability and social exclusion.
During the meeting, the delegation, led by Maya Ranavare, emphasized the plight of the 33 families living in the colony. Each household has been issued photo passes by the PCMC, and house leases have been applied to their homes, providing a certain degree of security. However, these families, predominantly reliant on daily wage labour, continue to face hardships stemming from financial instability and inadequate housing. Ranavare and the Maharashtra Kusht Sanghatana sought MLA Annasaheb Bansode’s assistance in ensuring the residents are relocated to a more dignified and suitable location.
The delegation also informed the MLA that they had previously submitted a letter to the PCMC Commissioner on March 17, 2023, urging action on the rehabilitation matter. The Commissioner had referred the issue to the Town Planning Department, but unfortunately, no report has been received so far. The meeting with MLA Bansode aimed to secure his support in expediting the process and ensuring that the concerns of the leprosy patients are promptly addressed, allowing them to live with dignity in Pimpri.
