The local military authorities (LMA) in Pune opened the two army roads - Elliot Road and Right Flank Road to the general public on Tuesday morning, after the ministry of defence ordered reopening of cantonment roads across the country, much to the relief of commuters. The residents in Pune cantonment area led by their elected representatives have been protesting against the closure of the two army roads for several years.
D K Yadav , chief executive officer (CEO), Pune cantonment board (PCB) confirmed that the two roads have been opened to the public as per the directions of the defence ministry. “ The roads were opened around 10.30 am and civilian traffic has started moving on the said roads. The residents had demanded opening of the roads after which we had discussed the issue with the local military authorities in detail. Now the ministry of defence has passed the orders and accordingly the roads have been opened ,” he said.
“The government has taken a strong people-centric decision by the opening the roads. The closure of the Elliot road was causing severe inconvenience to thousands of residents and we have been demanding that the road be opened for the past several years. The roads were closed without procedure and hence the ministry of defence directed that they be opened up. Citizens have their fundamental right to road which cannot be denied to them at any cost and this decision is a major victory for the people and the central government which has made it possible ,” said Kiran Mantri, former vice president, Pune cantonment board.
“The decision taken by the army authorities without consulting civilian stakeholders resulted in severe commuting issues for the citizens. We request the government to ensure that the public roads are never closed by the army authorities in future too ,” said Rohan Shelke, a commuter from Kalyani Nagar.
{{/usCountry}}“The decision taken by the army authorities without consulting civilian stakeholders resulted in severe commuting issues for the citizens. We request the government to ensure that the public roads are never closed by the army authorities in future too ,” said Rohan Shelke, a commuter from Kalyani Nagar.
{{/usCountry}}Vinod Mathurwala, general secretary, all India cantonment board members and vice presidents association, said “ The Right Flank road was closed in 2013 and citizens were suffering a lot since then. The residents of Wanavdi bazaar are very happy with the reopening of the roads,” he said