NDA’s closure of road from Chandni Chowk irks civilians

A controversy has erupted over the sudden blocking of the Chandni Chowk-NDA Road by the National Defence Academy (NDA) from Thursday. Citing security reasons, the NDA has closed this vital road, which is home to three prominent restaurants and several civilian residences.

Now, security guards and an iron barricade are preventing access to restaurant customers, morning walkers and joggers.

The NDA’s abrupt decision has raised the hackles of the restaurant owners and the morning walkers and joggers. Owner of the popular Oasis restaurant, Shekhar Pimpalkhare, one of the three big restaurants on the road, has submitted an application against NDA with the city police for preventing his customers from accessing the road.

Pimpalkhare told DNA on Friday, “The NDA authorities have prevented our customers for no reason. We will be moving the court.’’ He maintained that the road did not belong to the NDA. “The NDA has blocked the road from Thursday. They did not issue any letter to us,’’ Pimpalkhare said.

Owner of the other popular restaurant on the road, Garden Court, Sunder Pujari told DNA, “The authorities have prevented access to common people. We are carrying out a signature campaign against the move. We have had no customers for the last two days.’’

Local corporator Bandu Kemse of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) argued that the NDA was troubling the hotel owners.

“The hotel owners are paying tax to the Pune Municipal Corporation. I personally tried to speak with NDA authorities, but they did not respond to my telephone call,’’ he said.

When contacted, NDA public relations officer (PRO), Flight Lieutenant Sreeprakash said, “The road stretching from Chandni Chowk to NDA belongs to the ministry of defence. Due to security reasons, the movement has been restricted. We request the public to co-operate.’’

Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) additional city engineer Vivek Kharwadkar said the PMC was in the process of checking the ownership of the road. He said, “The road is marked in the development plan (DP) of the city and is presently under the NDA’s maintenance. However, citizens should be allowed to use the thoroughfare,’’ he said.

Kharwadkar said the civic body would write to the NDA to allow citizens to use of the road.

Meanwhile, president of the non-governmental organisation, Nagari Hakka Samiti (NHS), Sudhir alias Kaka Kulkarni, in a press statement demanded that the NDA immediately open the road to the public.

Kulkarni said he was making the demand on behalf of residents of Kothrud, Bhusari Colony and Bavdhan areas, as well as hotel owners and residents of NDA Road.
    —with inputs from Dinesh Thite