PCMC’s bird valley project: Shiv Sena does one up on NCP

A new controversy has erupted in the industrial town of Pimpri-Chinchwad after the civic body's much-talked about bird valley project...

A new controversy has erupted in the industrial town of Pimpri-Chinchwad after the civic body’s much-talked about bird valley project — located at Shahunagar in Chinchwad — was inaugurated by Shiv Sena MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil.

The project was supposed to be inaugurated by District Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar, but Sena corporator Prakash Babar broke open the gates of bird valley much before Pawar arrived and held an inauguration function at the hands of Patil.

“Babar, in whose ward the bird valley project is located, had requested the PCMC’s ruling party NCP that Sena leader Manohar Joshi be invited for the inauguration of the project. NCP members agreed, published a few invitation letters in the name of Manohar Joshi and sent it to the Sena members. In all the other invitations, Joshi’s name was removed and Pawar’s added. This angered the Sena members.”

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“On Thursday night, DCP Mahesh Patil called me to warn that I should not be come to visit Bird Valley on Friday morning or be prepared to face police action. So, I made it a point to come this morning and inaugurate the project,” he said.

Shiv Sena district president Gajanan Babar said despite giving a letter to Pimpri-Chinchwad mayor and they agreeing on calling Joshi for the function, they went back on their word.”

Mayor Aparna Doke said, “The official inauguration was held at the hands of Ajit Pawar and what Shiv Sena members did was wrong on their part. Also, it can’t be termed as an inauguration but just a visit by Shiv Sena members”