Shiv Sena politician Aaditya Thackeray with protesters in Hinjewadi on Sunday
Dudi held the committee’s first coordination meeting on Friday and announced the approval of Rs 426 crore for internal roads, while directing the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) to expedite works in its jurisdiction.
Participants said the march was also a reminder to the govt of the assurances it had made last year, after a spate of similar protests were held over the dismal state of infrastructure. We don’t even have proper footpaths,” said IT professional Vikas Singh, who was part of the march. Smita Patil, another Hinjewadi resident, said it’s now time authorities took serious note of the area’s infrastructure crisis. Nothing has changed in that time,” Patil said. “That coordination did help resolve several issues, but the larger ones remain,” said Pavanjeet Mane, president of the Forum for IT Employees (FITE). The repair works and upgrades should be expedited,” Mane said.
“We pay crores of rupees in taxes, but almost every road here is filled with potholes. “Hinjewadi is a major IT hub of the country. If this place is facing such problems, then something has really gone wrong, somewhere. I’ve been working here for four years. The protest came nearly a year after the last monsoon, which had left several parts of Hinjewadi inundated and covered in filth and potholes. Anger was so widespread, residents held meetings with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and then-deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, who subsequently tasked PMRDA to coordinate with various agencies, including NHAI and PWD, to fix Hinjewadi’s problems. “We had no choice, but to organise Sunday’s march, to show the govt that IT employees too can take to the streets to protest. State govt has now initiated fresh efforts to fix Hinjewadi’s problems. Last Thursday, deputy chief minister Sunetra Pawar formed a high-power committee headed by Pune district collector Jitendra Dudi to speed up repairs.
It was supposed to be launched in 2025,” he said. Because of the government’s inability to get VIP dates, “The Metro line is ready but its inauguration has been delayed. Sachin Londhe, an IT professional and president of the Pimpri Chinchwad Cooperative Housing Societies Federation, said several people had lost their lives in accidents caused by poor roads.
He also criticised the government for delays in the Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro corridor. Hinjewadi residents were also joined by scores of others from nearby areas of Pimpri Chinchwad.