Baiters, supporters hail Jha

At an informal meeting called by the Mayor Vatsala Andekar at the PMC this evening, the elected members, including the staunch opponents of Jha, showered encomiums on him.

They compared Jha’s three-year tenure with that of the first PMC commissioner late S G Barve and said that they would always remain indebted to him for his devotion towards the development of the city.

Former Mayor Ankush Kakde said, “Jha may not have been able to win over all the elected members at the PMC. However, there is no doubt that he enjoyed the support of Puneites.”

“I was fortunate to get elected as the Mayor of Pune when Jha was the commissioner,” said former Mayor Vandana Chavan.

Opposition leader at the PMC Avinash Salve and standing committee chairman Ramesh Bodke felt that Jha should have been given a one-year extension by the State Government. Former deputy mayor Ramdas Pawar also lauded Jha. He, however, felt that Jha should have avoided confrontations with the elected members by taking them in confidences.

Replying to his felicitation, Jha expressed gratitude towards Puneites and their elected representatives for extending him overwhelming support during his three-year tenure at the PMC. He appealed the elected members to carry out the mega water supply and sewerage augmentation project saying, “I had never deliberately attempted to sideline the general body. But, sometimes I was required to take some harsh decisions in the interest of the city.”