A retired high court judge will inquire into the firing; The Pune collector stopped water pipeline work.
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday ordered a judicial inquiry by a retired high court judge into Tuesday’s police firing that killed three farmers, including a 45-year-old woman, while the Pune district collector ordered the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to stop the water pipeline project.
The collector also ordered an inquiry by the sub-divisional officer (SDO) of Maval into the firing incident. On Tuesday, Sandeep Karnik, Pune (rural) SP, said the police were forced to open fire at Rautwadi in Kurunj village, off the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, when farmers protesting against the government’s land acquisition for the project started pelting policemen with stones.
A massive rally of farmers (more than 2,000) had also blocked the Mumbai-Pune Expressway for almost five hours. Supporters of the BJP, the Shiv Sena and the RPI too were among the protesting farmers.
RR Patil, home minister, said in the assembly that the judicial inquiry report would be tabled in the house along with the action-taken report within three months.
Villagers and farmers have consistently opposed the project ever since the PMC started work in 2008 under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewable Mission. As a result only 10% of the project has been completed and the project’s cost has gone up to more than Rs500 crore from the initial estimate of Rs350 crore.
Anil Pawar, resident deputy collector, said the law and order situation in the area is volatile. “So, the PCMC has been ordered to stop work,” he said. “Once the situation improves, a high-level committee, comprising the chief minister Pritiviraj Chavan, his deputy Ajit Pawar and divisional commissioner Dilip Band, would take a final decision on the project.”
Sanjay Patil, SDO of Maval, would submit his report to the district collector within two months. “Sachin Baroke, tehshildar, and Karnik have already given me their reports,” he said. “I will look into all aspects.”
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