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PMC’s aviation gallery is ready, yet it remains closed for public
The aviation gallery set up by the Pune Municipal Corporation at a cost of ₹4 crore remains closed to the public since its inauguration in March 2020. The gallery, named after an RSS leader, was initiated by the BJP but they have not taken steps to open it. Civic activists are calling for action against those responsible for the delay. BJP legislator Siddharth Shirole plans to meet with the municipal commissioner to address the issue.
The aviation gallery set up by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) at Shivajinagar at a cost of around ₹4 crore is yet to be open for the public after its inauguration in March 2020.
While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which ruled the civic body between 2017 and 2022 took lead to set up the Sarsanghchalak Balasaheb Deoras aviation gallery, it did not take any initiative to ensure that the facility is open to its beneficiaries — citizens.
The gallery is built at PMC-owned Lal Bahadur Shastri School located behind the Congress Bhavan.
Civic activist Vivek Velankar said, “It is sad that the gallery built on taxpayers’ money is not in operation. Action should be taken against former public representatives, officials and other stakeholders who are part of the project. It is an unusual case where the project is complete but not open for public.”
The multi-storeyed gallery has aircraft engines brought from other countries for students aiming to make a career in the field to be able to witness live demonstrations.
Velankar said, “The facility is named after a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader and the BJP should at least take steps to open the gallery to show respect to the person.”
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar and BJP’s Chandrakant Patil had attended the inauguration ceremony of the gallery on March 9, 2020.
Siddharth Shirole, BJP legislator from Shivajinagar, said, “I will meet the municipal commissioner next week and get an update on the issues that are holding back the public opening of the gallery.”
Congress leader Arvind Shinde said, “The civic body is ‘run’ by the BJP since last six years. They should respect their own leader whose name has been given to the innovative concept.”
PMC administration officials were unavailable to comment.
