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NCP corporator opposes shift from Good Luck chowk | ‘Causing heavy traffic’: BJP corporators demand shifting Kalakar katta

BJP corporator Punit Joshi said Kalakar Katta has a beautiful mural which should be retained and a safe sitting facility should be provided to artists.

3 min readPuneUpdated: Feb 16, 2026 10:43 PM IST

NCP corporator Harshvardhan Mankar said Kalakar katta has emerged as a good platform for artists over the past few years. (Express Photo)

BJP corporators have demanded shifting Kalakar Katta — the meeting point for artists of various fields, at Good Luck Cafe chowk near Deccan Gymkhana — citing the traffic bottleneck that the area creates.

Incidentally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier praised Kalakar katta developed by PMC and had mentioned about it in Mann ki Baat.

However, an NCP corporator has opposed any move to shift the Kalakar katta, which was developed on the insistence of a former BJP corporator, after the administration indicated that a preliminary report suggested it created a traffic bottleneck.

“We have asked Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) administration to shift Kalakar katta at Gopalkrishna Gokhale chowk, popularly known as Good Luck chowk, based on the demand of local citizens,” said BJP corporator Sunil Pande, who along with BJP corporators Punit Joshi, Manjushree Khardekar and Mitali Savlekar submitted a memorandum to municipal commissioner Naval Koshore Ram with the demand to shift Kalakar katta.

He said kalakar katta falls under the electoral ward represented by him in PMC. “Many citizens are facing traffic and other problems arising due to kalakar katta being at its present location. The road has become narrow due to land used for Kalakar katta and it causes traffic congestion. This has led to citizens being inconvenienced and they have been submitting complaints about it,” said Pande, adding that the municipal commissioner visited the location and accepted that it was indeed causing problems to traffic flow.

BJP corporator Punit Joshi said Kalakar Katta has a beautiful mural which should be retained and a safe sitting facility should be provided to artists. “It can be shifted to Sambhaji Garden or on J M road. We don’t want the removal of Kalakar Katta but it’s shifting as it was causing inconvenience to citizens,” he said.

NCP corporator Harshvardhan Mankar said Kalakar katta has emerged as a good platform for artists over the past few years. “Kalakar katta has emerged as a cultural heritage of the city. Its shifting would lead to injustice to art and artists. The civic administration should not take any decision of its shifting without consulting the artists,” he said.
Mankar said he will write to Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, Union Minister Murlidhar Mohol and PMC officers seeking justice for artists by retaining Kalakar Katta at its present location.

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The PMC administration said it would study the situation in detail and then only take decisions on the demand to shift Kalakar Katta.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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