Swabhimani Party performs puja on Balewadi bridge unused for 14 years, on Dussehra

A bridge linking Balewadi, which falls within the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits, with Kasпатewadi in Pimpri-Chinchwad has not been in use for the past 14 years. Over this, the Swabhimani Party performed a puja on the bridge on Dussehra and questioned the administration's functioning. The party described it as a symbolic protest.

The protest was led by the Swabhimani Party. Party members said several crore rupees were spent on building the bridge, yet it has served no purpose. They asked why the bridge lies unused despite so much public money being spent on it.

According to the protesters, the road alignment was changed in the Development Plan (DP), and as a result the bridge was cut off from the route for which it was built. They alleged that the affected farmers were not taken into confidence when the change was made, and that this is why the structure lies unused.

The protesters also raised the issue of compensation for the farmers whose land was acquired for the bridge. They claimed that the affected landowners have received no compensation so far. They accused the administration of failing to resolve this old issue.

Party members also alleged that the unused bridge and the area around it have become a nuisance for local residents. According to them, construction debris is being dumped there, vehicles are being parked, liquor is being consumed and gambling is taking place. Other alleged illegal activities are also said to be going on there.

The protesters asked who will ultimately be responsible for these activities and for the inconvenience caused to people by the bridge lying unused.

The symbolic puja on Dussehra was meant to draw attention to the long-standing delay. The party wants the municipal administration to fix accountability for the project and for the pending compensation.