Pune: Pune Guardian Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of State Ajit Pawar distanced himself from the decision taken by the Pune Municipal Corporation regarding the cancellation of the reservation of the ground situated at Katraj Gavthan in the development plan and diverting that land of 3.591 hectares to the Pune District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union.
On Thursday, Pawar had come to Pune for the district planning committee meeting. At that time, while speaking to the media after the meeting, Pawar stated that he had no idea about the issue. He said, “Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar has gone to Delhi for the Swachcha Survekshan Award ceremony. Once he returns to Pune, I will talk to him and understand the whole matter, and only then will I speak to the media regarding the issue.”
The proposed decision regarding the plot was a major issue of confrontation between the PMC and the opposition Maha Vikas Aaghadi group. As per the information, the reservation of the ground was proposed on the plot between survey numbers 132 (part) and 133 (part) at Katraj. This plot is 3.591 hectares, and it belongs to the Pune District Cooperative Milk Producers Union (Katraj Milk Dairy).
In 2021, the current Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar, at that time in the Maha Vikas Aaghadi government, proposed that the proposed reservation for the ground on this plot should be removed and that land should be given to Katraj Milk Dairy and Processing Industry. Accordingly, the decision was taken by the city improvement committee, and land was allocated to the Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union.
However, this decision of the PMC drew wider criticisms from various groups after the PMC invited objections and suggestions on its decision. This decision was unanimously opposed by Congress, the Shiv Sena UBT group, the Nationalist Congress Party Sharad Pawar group, MNS, and the Aam Aadmi Party. It has been learned that all parties have been given a written objection letter to the municipal administration regarding the cancellation of its decision.
