Statues causing jams in Pune to be shifted

The ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Thursday announced that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) would remove all statues that are hampering smooth flow of traffic in the city.

DNA, in its Wednesday edition (PMC drags feet on shifting statues), had reported how the civic body was sitting on its resolution, passed two-and-a-half-years ago, to remove statues from busy roads and traffic intersections.

On Monday the PMC shifted the statue of Dadoji Konddev from Lal Mahal, just three days after the general body passed a resolution to remove it.

Leader of house, Nilesh Nikam, said the NCP, with the cooperation of other parties, would remove all statues that are disputing traffic movement in the city.

Cutting across party lines, corporators had passed a resolution to shift seven statues on July 28, 2008.

When asked about this resolution, Nikam said the PMC is determined to shift the statues. Some of these include Kakasaheb Gadgil statue near Shaniwarwada, Kamgar statue near Shivajinagar court, the statues of Maharshi Karve and Chhatrapati Shivaji in Kothrud, Vasantdada Patil’s statue at Puram Chowk and Sadhu Vaswani’s statue near the railway station.

PMC traffic planner Srinivas Bonala told DNA that the civic administration had suggested some alternative venues to relocate Kakasaheb Gadgil’s statue, but the Gadgil family rejected it. Recently, they gave approval to another place.

“Once the proposal is approved by party leaders and the general body, we will shift the statue,” he said.