Shiv Shrushti project lying idle after land allotment in 2018

Though the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) celebrated the Shiv Shrushti project after allotting land at Chandani chowk in February 2018, no land has been acquired yet and the project is lying idle

Though the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) celebrated the Shiv Shrushti project after allotting land at Chandani chowk in February 2018, no land has been acquired yet and the project is lying idle.

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Shiv Shrushti was planned as a permanent exhibition on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The exhibition is to feature replicas of Maratha forts.

Opposition parties have come down heavily on the BJP.

Shiv Sena leader Prithviraj Sutar said, “We were opposed to shifting the Shiv Shrushti project from the garbage depot at Kothrud, but then the BJP office bearers promised to erect it at Chandni chowk. Fadnavis promised to erect a world class project. After shifting the project, all the BJP members wore the saffron turban at the general body meeting and celebrated it like a victory. Now no progress has been made.”

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) member Deepak Mankar, said, “The ruling BJP cheated us. The ruling BJP has not conducted a single meeting to take a review of the project. After the announcement, they celebrated it like a big victory and tried to take credit. Now we request guardian Minister Ajit Pawar to sort out this issue.”

Congress leader Aba Bagul said, “BJP should clear whether they want to do this project or not. Despite there being budgetary provision for the project, they are not following up on it.”

Congress leader Arvind Shinde said, “The then chief minister Devendra Fadvnavis played politics with the project. We said it is not possible to erect the Shiv Shrushti at Chandni chowk as no decision had been taken on the bio diversity park (BDP). Now, it is proved that we were right as no progress has been on land acquisition.”

BJP committed to project

The BJP’s Murlidhar Mohol, Pune mayor, said, “We are committed to erecting the Shiv Shrushti project at Chandni chowk. It will definitely come up at the same place, but due to the bio diversity park issue, little progress has been made. Last year we were busy with Covid-19, so we were not able to follow up. Opposition parties should avoid doing politics over this project.”

Mohol added that Congress and NCP were ruling before the BJP in the municipal corporation. “Before allegations and politics, opposition parties must introspect,” he said.