MAHARASHTRA Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Saturday visited Hinjewadi for the second time in a fortnight and expressed fears that the IT hub may eventually move out of Pune if the basic infrastructure is not improved in the IT hub. He also took stock of the steps taken by the local administration to resolve the issues of traffic jams and road widening raised by IT professionals and citizens in the area and issued them strict warning.
During his previous visit, Pawar had directed authorities to take all necessary measures to address various issues, including waterlogging and congestion faced by residents.
On Saturday, Pawar ”pulled up” a local sarpanch who was reportedly urging him not to widen the road in Hinjewadi area to 36 metres and instead it should be widened to 18 metres.
A viral video of the incident shows the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief chiding the sarpanch. However, Pawar later denied that he chided the sarpanch.
After inspecting the progress of various works, when Pawar was trying to get into his car, the sarpanch tried to strike up a conversation with him. An angry Pawar said to him, “You say whatever you want to say. I will hear you out. But I will do what I want… We have lost everything… Hinjewadi IT park is moving out to Hyderabad, Bengaluru… Why should I get up early morning and inspect the works here?.. But there is no alternative to it.”
He was accompanied by officials of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), district administration as well as police officers.
When contacted, Hinjewadi sarpanch Ganesh Jambhulkar said,”On behalf of the villagers, I was urging the Deputy CM to tell officials to widen the ‘gaothan’ road in Hinjewadi to 18 metres and not to 36 metres. This will help save the lives of nearly 100 families who live along this particular road in Hinjewadi. There is a school and also a hospital on this same road.”
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Jambhulkar added,”I told officials said that despite the fact that Hinjewadi villagers have offered land for roads, officials were not doing anything….It is wrong to say that Ajitdada got angry with me.”
Deputy sarpanch Deepali Jhambulkar said,”The Deputy Chief Minister said if infrastructure is not improved in Hinjewadi, then IT companies will move out…During his visit, he directed officials to take stern action for improving basic infrastructure in the IT park.”
Speaking to this paper, Archana Adhav, sarpanch of Maan Village, said,”Villagers of Maan, Mharunje and Hinjewadi have been demanding that the roads in their villages should be widened to 18 metres and not to 36 metres. And therefore some villagers and sarpanch of Hinjewadi tried to tell the Deputy Chief Minister that several families will be affected if the roads are widened to 36 metres.”
When contacted, PMRDA commissioner Yogesh Mhase said,”The Deputy Chief Minister turned up as early as 6 in morning. For next two-three hours, he inspected several areas and then he held a meeting with several officials including those from PMC, PCMC, ZP, MIDC and police.”
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Mhase said when a sarpanch met DCM and urged him to keep the road width to smaller in Goa than area. ”The sarpanch was arguing that road width in gaothan area should not be widened too much as it will affect several families.. He was arguing that 24 metres road width will impact traffic to which the DCM said that was not right.”
Mhase said the Deputy Chief Minister visited several spots including Hinjewadi, Maan, Mharunje, Kasarsai. ”He directed officials to that narrow roads should be widened as early as possible to ensure smooth passage of traffic and all encroachments on nullahs and streams should be removed. We told him that PMRDA, irrigation department and a private agency are currently conducting a survey of the legal and illegal structures on nullahs and streams after which necessary action will be initiated,” Mhase said.
Like the last visit, Pawar against directed PMRDA and the police to act tough against those who created obstructions in road construction. “Don’t listen to anyone. File cases… Those who obstruct work should be put behind bars. Those whose land is being acquired will get TDR (transfer of development rights). We will do whatever is possible,” he had said. He had also instructed to take action after inspecting streams and nullahs on which encroachments had taken place. On Saturday, he keep took the same line, issuing instructions and directions to officials in a stern tone while warning them that IT park would move out of Hinjewadi if things are not improved, officials said.
