Aurangabad. Dec 20:
The smart city administration on Saturday put up an art installation board at TV Center Chowk under the name ''Super Sambhajinagar''. This led to a new controversy in the city. Activists that oppose the renaming of the city strongly objected to the issue. However, municipal administrator Astik Kumar Pandey denied all the allegations and said that all efforts were being made to boost tourism in the city.
A number of innovative initiatives are currently being implemented under the central government''s smart city project. Considering the importance of every chowk and area in the city, the work of installing beautiful art installation panels is being done by NGOs. So far, a panel titled ''Love Aurangabad'' has been erected at Cidco N-1. The plaque was unveiled by guardian minister Subhash Desai. Similar signs have been erected at Jalna road. A board called ''Love Khadki'' was put up in the Khadkeshwar area. On Saturday, a board was put up in the TV Center Chowk under the name ''Super Sambhajinagar''. As soon as the board flashed on social media, there was a strong reaction. MP Imtiyaz Jaleel strongly opposed the move on social media. However, Shiv Sena MLC Ambadas Danve supported the board in the afternoon. He also raised a question stating we did not oppose ''Love Aurangabad'', so why is their opposition to ''Super Sambhajinagar''.
Ready to fight a legal battle
In the 1990s, it was decided to rename the city of Aurangabad as Sambhajinagar. We had approached the Supreme Court against this decision. The then Shiv Sena-BJP alliance chief minister Manohar Joshi had withdrawn the notification issued by the government. So far we are ready to fight a legal battle if such an act is being committed by an administration like Smart City, said Mushtaq Ahmed, petitioners in the Supreme Court.
Efforts to increase tourism in the city
No dispute has arisen over the board being set up in collaboration with Smart City and a private organization. Such boards are being set up in different parts of the city keeping in view the importance of the area. Various efforts are being made to make the tourists feel better in the city, to increase tourism, to provide employment opportunities to the people of Aurangabad said Astik Kumar Pandey, administrator municipal corporation.