New Pune Metro route to new Shivaji memorial site

CM Fadnavis moved Shivaji Memorial to near Chandani chowk and extended the Ramwadi-Vanaz line till there

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday, ended a long-standing controversy as regards the erecting of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial in the city.

Chief minster Devendra Fadnavis (centre, right) at the meeting with Pune elected members, civic officials amd Maha-Metro representatives in Mumbai on Tuesday. The CM called all parties to the meeting to resolve a stand-off over the construction site of a Shivaji Maharaj Memorial in the city clashing with the Pune Metro plan.(HT PHOTO)

Fadnavis has decided that the memorial will now be built at the Bio Diversity park coming up at Chandani chowk instead of the original planned site at the Kothrud garbage depot.

The controversy sprung up when the land housing the Kothrud Garbage was allocated to house a Metro car shed as part of the Pune Metro project.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) corporators were aggressive in demanding that the memorial remain at its Kothrud location and this lead to a political stand off in the city. 

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Maha-Metro, responsible for executing the Metro project, were of the view that the memorial can be shifted to another location.

It is against this backdrop that the chief minister called a meeting of parties involved in Mumbai on Tuesday.

After the meeting Fadnavis tweeted: “Principally approved a grand memorial of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, ‘Shiv Shrushti’, in Pune and asked PMC to contribute more for this unique project of historic importance. Minister Girish Bapat, Pune mayor and people’s representatives were present for the meeting.” 

Pune Mayor Mukta Tilak said, “The Shiv Shrusti project was pending for the last 10 years, but chief minister Devendra Fadnavis sorted out this issue in Tuesday’s meeting and assured the erection of Shiv Shrusti near the adjacent plot which is located on Bio Diversity park. The chief minister has also instructed the extension of the Vanaz to Ramwadi Metro line till the Shiv Shrusti memorial at Chandani chowk.” 

Maha-Metro managing director Brijesh Dixit expressed satisfaction and thanked all political parties for handing over the Kothrud depot land for the Metro project. “The 24-acre plot on Paud road will be an important one for Maha-Metro, as the corporation plans to use it as a car shed and as a station too, for its Vanaz-Ramvadi route,” Dixit said.

The work for the Metro has already begun in the city with pillers being erected on Paud road and in Pimpri.