Unkept Promises: Pimpri MLA under fire, only 1 project implemented in 5 yrs; several key plans were non-starters, development hit

What is the sitting MLA up to?

In 2019 polls, NCP’s Anna Bansode was elected from Pimpri reserved. Bansode is known for his proximity to Ajit Pawar. In 2019 erstwhile rebel Ajit Pawar took an aboriginal greeting oath on with Devendra Fadnavis, Bansode was the lone NCP who stood by him. Till the rebellion came a cropper, Bansode was held up successful Mumbai with his person Ajit Pawar.

Since then, Bansode has grown person to Ajit Pawar.

However, Bansode’s detractors and citizens of the Pimpri reserved spot look to question his replacement. And respective aspirants, including the likes of erstwhile corporators Seema Savale of BJP, Sulakashna Shilwant from NCP (S-P) and Chandrakanta Sonkamble of RPI among others, person begun campaigning.

BJP wants him out

On Friday, BJP, the cardinal spouse successful Mahayuti, struck a discordant note. At a meeting, BJP leaders demanded the Pimpri spot beryllium alloted to the party. ”BJP ever had bully enactment successful Pimpri. In 2024 polls, Pimpri gave a pb of 16,000 to Sena LS campaigner Appa Barne. At yesterday’s meeting, each our leaders were unanimous that the enactment campaigner beryllium fielded from Pimpri,” said BJP MLC Amit Gorkhe who was earlier himself preparing for the seat.

BJP Pimpri-Chinchwad president Shankar Jagtap said, “I person heard enactment workers demanding that BJP contention the seat. I don’t cognize if a solution was passed to this effect. About contesting Pimpri, immoderate the party’s determination we volition abide by it.”

Under occurrence for doing little

Detractors of Bansode impeach him of doing small for the constituency and ever tagging down Ajit Pawar without purpose. In 2019 polls, NCP had promised improvement for Pimpri, including implementing a slew of projects and easing commuter woes.

”Show maine 1 large task implemented successful Pimpri successful 5 years?” asks erstwhile BJP corporator Seema Savale.

Be it riverfront improvement projects, rehabilitation of slums, gathering grounds, alleviating postulation issues, implementing powerfulness infra successful Pradhikaran, re-development of gaothan areas, Bansode has been recovered wanting connected each fronts and is nether occurrence from citizens, activists and opposition.

”Pimpri has astir 35 slums, but the constituency has seen small enactment connected this front, portion slum rehabilitation projects person been taken up successful Bhosari and Chinchwad,” Savale said.

Pramod Shinde, a teacher, said, “In Pimpri, nary improvement has been seen successful 5 years. We lone heard astir this task inaugurated successful Bhosari, that 1 inaugurated successful Chinchwad. But what astir Pimpri? The sitting MLA present failed to bring immoderate projects.”

Savale said areas similar Akurdi, Kasarwadi and Phugewadi person respective chawls. ”These goanthans are awaiting re-development. Chawl residents privation to determination successful precocious emergence buildings with amended amenities. But successful these 5 years, thing happened. Chawls stay wherever they are,” she said.

In Pradhikaran, civic activists said powerfulness cuts are predominant and agelong arsenic infrastructure has not been upgraded. ”People present person suffered long, due to the fact that of aged and outdated powerfulness infrastructure,” said Sathyan Iyer, a civic activist.

A BJP person said, ”Besides civic projects, determination are respective cardinal and authorities authorities projects truthful MLAs request to prosecute them with the assemblage concerned. The MLA needs to suggest projects and taxable them, and guarantee his task gets support and money allocation, for which helium needs to program and walk time. But the Pimpri MLA was engaged successful authorities and mostly inaccessible to citizens. Which is wherefore we privation a caller MLA to correspond Pimpri.”

Traffic nightmare

The Pune-Mumbai road agelong passing done Pimpri spot has go a regular nightmare for citizens with nary solution successful sight. “Every evening, postulation is jammed for 5 hours, especially, the agelong from Nashik Phata to Phugewadi is the worst. The MLA has shown nary urgency to resoluteness the contented successful each seriousness,” said Jayant Kariya, a nonmigratory of Dapodi.

MLA tom-toms ‘1 large project’

Bansode, who could beryllium contacted lone aft repeated calls, conceded helium had implemented lone 1 slum rehab task successful Ganeshnagar, Pimpri. ”Nearly 200 families person been rehabilitated,” helium said.

About different projects, Bansode said helium had pursued the task of the caller PCMC gathering successful Chinchwad. ”Besides, nether the municipality thoroughfare plan, the Nigdi to Dapodi roadworthy volition acquisition a implicit revamp. We volition besides instrumentality a Rs 800-crore project, and a akin 1 successful Pradhikaran,” helium said.

Bansode denied helium had been recovered wanting. ”’Because of Covid, nary caller projects were implemented for a mates of years. There was governmental instability too. But fto maine archer you, respective projects are awaiting authorities authorities nod. We are besides pushing for slum rehabilitation successful a large way,” helium said.

The Bansode Camp said Pune Metro was the large accomplishment successful the past 5 years, but his rivals said the task began successful December 2016 and the MLA has small to bash with it.