Year after,no move on shifting of statues at killer chowks

Even after a year since Atharva Dongare,a schoolboy,was killed in a road accident near the Kakasaheb Gadgil statue in front of Shaniwarwada...

Even after a year since Atharva Dongare,a schoolboy,was killed in a road accident near the Kakasaheb Gadgil statue in front of Shaniwarwada,the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has not done much to relocate the statues from some prime chowks in the city. Though the civic administration has prepared a list of statues to be relocated,a special committee,headed by Mayor Rajlaxmi Bhosale,has held only one meeting on the agenda.

The contentious issue of relocation of statues from busy chowks had come to the fore after 10-year-old Atharva,a resident of Kasba Peth,was crushed to death under the wheels of a public transport bus near the Gadgil statue. Atharva had reached the chowk near Surya Hospital and was taking a turn from the statue when the bus hit his bicycle. Atharva fell and the bus ran over him. Following this,some corporators had raised the issue at the general body meeting in last April. They had demanded immediate shifting of statues that were causing bottlenecks on city roads.

PMC commissioner Praveensinh Pardeshi said,it is true that though the issue of relocating the statues is important,the PMC has not been able to do much so far. I will personally look into the matter and do the needful,once the elections are over.

Congress leader Ulhas Bagul said he had attended the single meeting held so far,after which nothing has happened. Hopefully,another meeting will be called once the election is over, he said.

Civic activist Vivek Velankar said the PMC lacks tenacity in acting upon such plans. The politicians as well as the administration know that public memory is short and therefore they take steps to improve things initially,but over time leave things as they are.

The PMC had prepared a list of statues that need to be relocated. Among these,Kakasaheb Gadgils statue near Shaniwarwada,Vasantdada Patils statue located at Abhinav Art College Chowk,Maharshi Karves statue at Kothrud gaon and Kamgar Putala near Shivajinagar court are located in places of high traffic density.

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