Pune:
For nearly two months after the Valentine's Day eve blast at the German Bakery in Pune, the owners hung on to the hope that the civic body would deliver on its promise of compensation and they would be able to rebuild the popular Koregaon Park joint.
But then, a letter arrived a couple of days ago that smashed their hopes to smithereens.
The bakery is not entitled to any compensation, said the letter signed by an official of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). This, just four days after Mayor Mohansingh Rajpal said that the compensation would be handed over in a month.
The letter received by the Kharoses, owners of the German Bakery, cited lack of funds for not being able to provide compensation. Signed by a deputy commissioner, the letter went on to say that the bakery owners were not entitled to any compensation.
When contacted, the Mayor said, "I will visit the place (German Bakery) and meet the owners." But when told about the letter, he added, "The government will decide whether they should be compensated. In any case, they have not lost any members of the family and not much has been damaged in terms of infrastructure. So the government will decide if they are entitled or not."
Deputy Municipal Commissioner M S Devnikar refused to comment on the issue, only saying he was unaware of such a letter. "There are several deputy commissioners and I have not signed any such letter."
Smita Kharose, owner of German Bakery, said, "We were shocked to receive the letter on Tuesday. I am helpless. Why did the ministers make false promises to us? I will speak to my lawyers on the further course of action."
Kharose's daughter Snehal said, "Chandrakant Dalvi, the district collector, has assured us he will try to get us Rs 5 lakh token compensation."
The development is a double whammy for Smita Kharose, especially since she had refused help from locals and foreigners immediately after the blast, saying she had complete faith in the system. In light of the letter, Kharose said she would be "glad for any monetary assistance" now that the family had been left with no choice.