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PMC prohibits road digging work ahead of PM’s visit to Pune
PMC instructed staff to not allow digging around Lohegaon airport, Yerawada, Rajbhavan, and Swargate
The Pune municipal administration has instructed its staff and private contractors to not undertake any road digging work in the city, mainly in the areas where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to travel during his Pune visit. The PM will be in a city on August 1 where he will be conferred the Lokmanya Tilak award.
Ahead of PM Modi’s visit, additional municipal commissioner at PMC Vikas Dhakane held a meeting with the municipal administration and instructed staff to not allow digging of roads mainly around Lohegaon airport, Yerawada, Rajbhavan, and Swargate from where Prime Minister is likely to travel, said an official.
At the same time, contractors have been asked by the civic body to complete already taken road digging work at priority level, the official added.
Dhakane said, “As PM Modi is visiting the city, we are ensuring that there is no digging work underway in areas where the prime minister is likely to visit. The civic body is conducting and giving permission for road digging only for water pipeline laying work.”
PM Modi will be conferred Lokmanya Tilak National Award where Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar, chief minister Eknath Shinde, and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar are also likely to be present.
Usually during rainy season, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) does not allow any type of digging work unless in emergency situations and essential services. However, this year, PMC is being criticised to go soft against private contractors involved in road digging work even for non-essential services.
Officials said the PMC has allowed to complete the work of 24x7 water scheme works and laying drainage and storm water lines for which digging is permitted.
Even as Prime Minister’s office has not officially confirmed his tour, the local administration in the city along with district collectorate have started the preparations for the visit.
Recently, divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao took a meeting with officers for the preparations of PM’s visit to the city and conducted a site visit.
The Lokmanya Tilak award ceremony is planned at Tilak University located at Gultekadi.
The Bhartaiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Hemant Rasane on Monday claimed that the PM is also likely to visit Dagdusheth Ganesh Mandir and Kesri Wada on August 1.
As Prime Minister Modi and NCP leader Pawar will be sharing the same dias, the programme has received more importance in the political circle.
