Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar made a veiled criticism of the BJP's governance in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) during a function organized by the Pimpri-Chinchwad unit of the NCP. He claimed that the NCP had ensured planned development in the industrial city but suggested that tax-payers' money was misused from 2017 to 2022.
“When NCP ruled Pimpri-Chinchwad, development was ensured through proper planning. However, after that, I have been receiving various complaints that tax-payers money was misused, the tender process was manipulated, contractors were forming ‘rings’ to claim municipal contracts…,” Ajit Pawar said.
Ajit Pawar said Pimpri-Chinchwad was famous as a “role model” of development. “But that image has taken a beating. We all will have to work hard to restore the glory of the industrial city,” Pawar said.
Indirectly criticize Rohit Pawar
While not directly naming MLA Rohit Pawar, who has been active in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Ajit Pawar hinted at political manoeuvring, saying, “After the death of Prof Ramkrishna More, I started turning my focus on Pimpri-Chinchwad and worked for pushing its development. As a result, Pimpri-Chinchwad today has good roads, flyovers, gardens, clean water…We made efforts to provide all basic amenities to the citizens. I have special affection for Pimpri-Chinchwad and that is why I could help change the face of the city. But these days, some people are dropping in the city, on and off, trying to create a different kind of an atmosphere,” he said.
The function organized by the NCP saw Pawar felicitate winners of the Ganesh festival and Gauri Ganpati contests. Various political figures, including MLA Anna Bansode, former MLA Vilas Lande, former mayor Sanjog Waghere, former corporators Nana Kate and Rahul Bhosale, and NCP women's wing chief Kavita Alhat, were also in attendance.