Ajit Pawar sounds high alert for Pune civic polls

Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar has instructed the Pune commissioner of police, Meeran Chadha Borwankar, to take tough steps to maintain law and order in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, in view of the approaching election to the two municipal corporations early next year.

Addressing party workers at the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) meet at Ramkrishna More auditorium in Chinchwad on Sunday, he said that in a short meeting with the police commissioner he had said that the police must go all out to maintain law and order and thwart terror attacks.

“I have also assured the police commissioner that there would be no political interference in the actions that the police take to maintain law and order,” he added.

On the upcoming civic polls, Pawar said, “The party would select candidates on the basis of merit only. As there is 50% quota for women candidates, political leaders should not insist on their wives contesting. Give opportunities to good candidates who can win the polls.”

Stating that no decision had been taken on construction within the ‘red zone’ surrounding sensitive defence establishments, Pawar said, “Although my discussions with officials of the defence ministry were positive, no final result came out of the meetings.”

On illegal constructions in Pimpri-Chinchwad, the minister said, “The NCP-led state government is making all efforts to regularise these constructions. We are also trying alternatives, as was done in the case of the Ulhasnagar municipal corporation.”

Commenting on the Metro rail proposal for Pune, Pawar admitted, “We are facing a lot of difficulties to taking the project forward. In Delhi too the authorities had faced similar hurdles while implementing the Delhi Metro project. We also have to think about an underground metro.”

On the ongoing sugarcane farmers’ agitation across the state for seeking better prices for their produce, Pawar said, “If the agitated farmers damage sugarcane transport vehicles and work of sugar factories, it will ultimately result in losses to sugar factories. How, then, can the factory promoters pay higher price to farmers?”