Pune BJP Leaders Divided Over Proposed Balbharti-Paud Road On Vetal Tekdi

Pune, 5th April 2023: Intra-party discord has surfaced in the Pune unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the Balbharti-Paud road link project, as party leaders clash over the issue.

Former legislator and national vice-president of BJP’s women’s wing, Medha Kulkarni, has opposed the project, which has been promoted by Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil and former mayor Murlidhar Mohol. Kulkarni has conveyed her objections to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

Kulkarni, along with representatives of the Vetal Tekdi Bachav Kruti Samiti, met Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar to register their protest against the project. She stated that she was in favor of the project previously but is now convinced that a road across the hill is no longer necessary. Kulkarni argued that the construction of new roads is detrimental to public transport and that the Pune Metro project, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is giving impetus to mass public transport.

Kulkarni added that the proposed road was needed 20 years ago due to the lack of a public transport system, but the situation has changed now. She noted that the city has already lost two-thirds of its 900-hectare green cover on city hills due to illegal construction, and the road project on the hill will adversely impact the ecology and environment. Kulkarni claimed that all experts have raised concerns over the damage to the environment due to the project, and the PMC is unable to address them.

Former mayor Mohol and sitting legislator Siddarth Shirole, along with the civic administration, had visited the project site two weeks ago to convince those opposing the project. Mohol had stated that they would address all concerns of citizens opposing the project as needed to decongest traffic. The Guardian minister had also spoken about the need for the project recently.

Kulkarni and Mohol both represent the Kothrud Assembly segment. Kulkarni had previously represented the Assembly in a five-year term but was denied a party ticket in 2019 elections to make way for then state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil. In the recent Kasba bypoll, Mohol and Patil led the election campaign for BJP to retain the party bastion, but the Congress won.

To Read Political And Bureaucracy News Join Sarkar Khabar WhatsApp Group