Pandharpur delegation meets commissioner over highway expansion fears

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Fearing demolition of key religious and cultural structures due to the ongoing Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar–Pune highway expansion, residents and traders from Pandharpur and Gevrai Book Bond areas met divisional commissioner Jitendra Papalkar on Friday.

The delegation, led by ZP member Ramesh Gaikwad, raised objections over property markings in the area and submitted a memorandum demanding protection of vital sites such as the Vitthal temple, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar's statue, and a historic Jama Masjid. They warned that any threat to these landmarks could trigger widespread public unrest across Marathwada and North Maharashtra. Responding to the concerns, commissioner Papalkar assured that no property would be disturbed until official land acquisition begins and compensation is finalized. The group proposed alternative routes, including an outer ring road from Oasis Chowk to Kamgar Chowk and a flyover. They also demanded diverting the highway outside Gevrai Book Bond to protect the village landscape. The delegation included Uday Deshmukh, Sahebrao Dabhade, Deepak Kanade, Danny Jagtap, Rahul Jadhav, Sagar Bagul, Pravin Chandan, Ganesh Jadhav, Shailesh Khotkar, Sanjay Kedare, Dnyaneshwar Mali, Nitin Jadhav, and others.