Petition panel visits Ghorpadi, hears views on railway overbridge demand

Lok Sabha MP and member of the petition committee of Parliament, Bhartruhari Mahtab said that the Committee would try to resolve the issue of railway overbridge at Ghorpadi, pending since six decades.

The petition committee of the Parliament visited Pune on Saturday and discussed the Ghorpadi Railway Overbridge issue with the people concerned. At the meeting, officials of PMC, defence, railway along with the elected representatives presented their case before the parliament committee. Shiv Sena group leader in the Lok Sabha Anant Gite headed the petition committee.

There are 15 members of this committee and six members visited the site at Ghorpadi Railway Crossing.

Mahtab, while speaking to mediapersons, informed that the petition committee was always in touch with the people. He said that even though the committee had not arrived at any conclusion, it had understood that people had several grievances, which it would try to resolve amicably.

The petition committee of the Parliament visited the Ghorpadi railway crossing and listened to the views of the local residents who shouted slogans against closing of the gates by the defence authorities at Ghorpadi village. Mahtab said the committee had heard all the parties -- PMC, railway, defence and elected representatives -- involved in this issue.

It was after Shiv Sena MP from Shirur Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil wrote a letter to the petition committee that it visited Pune. Patil said he had been trying to resolve the issue for the past six and a half years, but due to unfavorable response by defence officials, he had to send an application to the petition committee.

Mayor Chanchala Kodre, deputy mayor Bandu Gaikwad, local MLAs Ramesh Bagve and Mahadev Babar, PMC corporators Surekha Kavde and Santosh Kavde presented their case for the Ghorpadi Railway Overbridge case at the meeting with the petition committee.

The Ghorpadi-Mundhwa Railway Overbridge committee convener Lt Col MK Gupta-Ray and member Nirmala Tiku and PN Khursude presented the committee’s side on the Railway Overbridge. Major General SK Yadav from Southern Command, Brigadier Lalit Joshi who is officiating GoC of Pune Sub-Area and Colonel Yogesh Chaudhary, Colonel Q, Pune sub-area also were present during the spot visit and meeting.

Mayor Kodre, deputy mayor Gaikawad and MLA’s Bagve as well as Babar pleaded the case for the overbridge. Bagve said that defence officials are for protecting the borders and not protecting themselves in cities like Pune. Lt Colonel (Retd) Gupta-Ray said that since the population of the city has grown to almost five million and the number of two-wheelers has crossed two million the issue of security due to overbridge was irrelevant. He said that instead of opposing the railway overbridge, defence officials should try to increase the liasoning with police, with common people and increase its intelligence network.

Former minister of state for PWD Balasaheb Shivarkar informed that for the Miraj route the railway crossing is operated for 100 times a day and for Solapur route track the crossing is operated for 80 times a day. He said that the present road was in use and no additional land would be utilised in the railway overbridge.
Ghorpadi residents Jagan Trawadan and Chandrakant Thopate informed that they had been suffering this problem for the past six decades and are being assured by politicians that the railway overbridge would come up one day. Trawadan said that he has to cross railway line at least six times a day and railway overbridge was a must since it delays daily routine if there is an emergency and one can’t take vehicle to the other side of the crossing.