‘Unkept Promises’: What is ailing Chinchwad constituency as development works stall, project costs rise?

Laxman Jagtap, whose writ ran in Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) corridors, passed away in 2023. His wife, Ashwini Jagtap, was subsequently elected as an MLA from the Chinchwad seat. While she has been trying to learn the ropes in the political field where her husband made waves, her detractors have raised the decibel levels against the BJP for its perceived failure to rise to the expectations of the voters in the Chinchwad seat.

While some critics argue that the Chinchwad Assembly constituency has experienced scandals unlike any other constituency in Pune, others say that apart from civic projects, the constituency has not witnessed any significant development projects.

The claimants, aspirants

After Laxman Jagtap passed away, many people thought the BJP would nominate his brother, Shankar Jagtap, for the Chinchwad seat. Shankar Jagtap was in charge when his brother was ill, and he has a strong connection with the voters in Chinchwad. However, the BJP surprised everyone by nominating Laxman Jagtap’s wife, Ashwini Jagtap, who won by a comfortable margin.

This time, Shankar Jagtap is preparing to contest the election, hoping that the BJP will not deny him the chance for a second time. “I hope the BJP will nominate him… But whoever is nominated, I will work for that person,” Jagtap told The Indian Express.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Bhausaheb Bhoir, who had unsuccessfully contested in the past, is also planning to run for office. “Yes, I have already started my campaign. Come what may, I will contest from the Chinchwad seat,” said Bhoir, who will likely resign from the NCP led by Ajit Pawar before the Assembly elections.

Another person who was seen as a threat to Jagtap in the Assembly ring is Rahul Kalate. Until a few months ago, he was associated with Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray and later showed interest in Sena led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. “I did not contest the Lok Sabha election. This is because I wanted to contest the Assembly seat, and I am already gearing up for it,” said Kalate, who had given a tough fight to Laxman Jagtap in the 2019 Assembly elections.

The cup of woes overflows

Of the three Assembly constituencies in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Chinchwad has the highest voter count of 6.39 lakh. Laxman Jagtap has thrice won the seat while his wife has won once post his death.

Chinchwad is a much sought-after destination for outsiders who arrive in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad. It is characterised by tall, high-rise buildings, wide and pothole-free roads, gardens in every suburb, popular schools, hospitals, malls, and its proximity to the Hinjewadi IT park. Among all the constituencies in Pimpri-Chinchwad, none is considered as developed and sought-after as Chinchwad.

However, as the suburbs such as Pimple Gurav, Pimple Saudagar, Rahatni, Punawale, Ravet, Tathawade, Wakad, Rahatni, Thergaon, Kalewadi, and Kiwale expanded, they faced problems related to adequate drinking water, waste management, increasing traffic, and parking.

Although the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has constructed flyovers and subways in the constituency, many believe that the traffic situation is becoming increasingly dangerous and may even surpass that of Pune city in terms of chaos.

“The traffic congestion in the Chinchwad area is increasing due to the growing population, especially the influx of outsiders buying flats and settling down here in large numbers. High-rise buildings are rapidly being constructed in Punawale, Ravet, Tathawade, and Wakad areas. Although the roads are wide, I believe they will soon be insufficient to accommodate the increasing number of four-wheelers that seem to dominate all the roads in the constituency,” said Ashok Morwal, a resident of Rahatni.

Besides the traffic issue, water scarcity is another major problem in the constituency. Residents and activists criticise PCMC for approving high-rise residential and commercial projects without proper consideration.

“There is only one dam that is the biggest water source for Pimpri-Chinchwad, although some amount of water is also being made available from two other dams. Despite the dam being 100 per cent full, PCMC cannot provide water supply to the residents every day. The city lacks the necessary infrastructure and water tanks to ensure daily water supply. In the Chinchwad constituency, most societies rely on water tankers even during the monsoons. “Imagine what will happen in the next few years,” said S D Patil, a resident of Rahatni.

The local civic body needs help in addressing garbage disposal. Residents of Punawale strongly oppose the establishment of a garbage depot in the area. The PCMC argues that setting up a garbage depot in Punawale would make it easier to collect, transport, process, and dispose of garbage. However, this problem remains unresolved.

Projects delayed, cost hike

NCP member Bhausaheb Bhoir has made a serious accusation against the BJP, his party’s ally. Bhoir claims that the BJP has profiteered under the guise of development.

“A cluster of projects has intentionally been delayed, resulting in increased estimated costs that benefit BJP leaders financially. The Chinchwad constituency has been plagued by various types of scams,” he said.

Bhoir cited the case of the Ga Di Madgulkar Auditorium in Pradhakaran, stating that the project’s original cost was Rs 22 crore. “The project took seven years to complete, and in the end, the cost escalated threefold. Taxpayers’ money was squandered in this manner.”

Citing another case, Bhoir said, ”The repair work of Prof Ramkrishna More auditorium was estimated at Rs 24 crore. Actually, with this amount an entirely new auditorium can be built. The BJP does not care for public money.”

Rahul Kalate, on the other hand, said key development projects in the Chinchwad seat were negatively impacted as the BJP created obstacles. “I have been trying to initiate a flying service from Vishalnagar to Hinjewadi to help alleviate the traffic congestion. However, the BJP has consistently opposed the project. I had initially proposed this nearly 10 years ago when the traffic problem was not as severe. Now it has worsened and will continue to worsen in the coming months,” he said.

Kalate mentioned that he proposed the construction of a service road from Balewadi to Kiwale. He stated that the BJP opposed this project and obstructed his efforts to improve internal roads in the Wakad area. He had to seek assistance from the state government to overcome these obstacles.

Kalate stated that there is no solution in sight to the increasing drinking water problem in the Chinchwad area. He also alleged that traffic chaos is growing daily, and parking problems are cropping up on every road.

BJP defends slow pace of work

The Pimpri-Chinchwad BJP has defended the slow pace of work in the Chinchwad seat. However, it stated that the pace of work has picked up in the last year, and several projects are in the pipeline.

Shankar Jagtap, the president of the Pimpri-Chinchwad BJP and brother-in-law of MLA Ashwini Jagtap, stated, “It is true that the Chinchwad seat, which was known for fast development, saw fewer projects in the last five years. This is due to Covid initially and then my brother Laxman Jagtap being unwell for two years. The launching of new development projects and the pace of existing works slowed down during this time, but we now have several projects in the pipeline.”

Shankar Jagtap said they have succeeded in cancelling PCMC’s garbage depot plan at Punawale. “Instead, an oxygen park will come to Punawane.”

A 30-metre-wide road will be constructed from Walhekarwadi to Dange Chowk to ease traffic congestion. Additionally, sports complexes are planned for Pimple Gurav and Wakad. Jagtap mentioned that the Chinchwad area has witnessed the highest level of implementation of smart city projects in the last five years, including the construction of new roads and footpaths and the installation of CCTV cameras.

As for the allegations that the BJP delayed projects to make money, Jagtap said, “If the NCP is making allegations against us, it should pause for a while and tell the people as to who started the project in the first place and who initially delayed it… The BJP has no hand in this.”

Regarding Bhoir’s accusation about the repair work at Prof Ramkrishna More Auditorium, Jagtap explained, “The project was slightly delayed, causing an increase in the cost of cement and other materials, leading to a cost escalation in the project.”

Jagtap also refuted the claim that the BJP or the MLA was responsible for stalling the Vishalnagar to Hinjewadi flyover plan. He stated, “My brother was eager to have a flyover directly from Nashik Phata to Hinjewadi constructed. Unfortunately, due to his illness, the project could not take off.”

However, Kalate and Bhoir stated that the Chinchwad area had suffered in development over the past five years. They said, “The BJP failed the people of Chinchwad when it came to ensuring overall development and improving civic amenities, causing hardship for the citizens.”