BDP issue leads to protest against CM

Just three days after Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan declared eight per cent Transfer Of Development Rights (TDR) on the Bio Diversity Parks (BDP) project, president of Youth Congress Haridas Charwad, along with 1,500 supporters, staged a rasta roko on Sinhagad Road in Wadgaon Budruk yesterday afternoon.

Charwad claimed that BDP reservation on Survey Number 43 and 49 in Wadgaon Budruk would adversely impact its 8,000 residents and needs to be abolished. The protest resulted in an ugly traffic jam that lasted for over two hours.

Opposition from within: Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. File Pic

"It is sad that we have to revolt against our own leader for making a wrong decision on the BDP project, which will adversely affect the villagers of Wadgaon Budruk. We have a Government Resolution (GR) clearly stating that the area was declared as residential for its occupants in 1983.

The then district collector had also declared Wadgaon Budruk a village in 1935. It is absurd to reserve the place for the BDP project when thousands of people have been residing there for the last several decades," Charwad said. "We have submitted our list of demands with the PMC officials and are planning to conduct another agitation outside PMC headquarters in Shivajinagar if they are not accepted."

NCP corporator from Wadgaon Budruk Vikas Dangat also criticised Chavan and his decision. "He did not consult any of the NCP leaders before announcing his decision on the BDP project.

Similarly, he has mocked Bombay High Court's ruling against the PMC for making reservations on residential areas at Survey Number 43, 45, 46, 47 and 47 in Wadgaon Budruk for the BDP. Earlier, the CM approved the Development Plan (DP) without the BDP project and now by making ‘certain changes' it was approved in favour of certain people. Several farmers from the area are planning to move court seeking a stay on the project."

Protesting against Chavan's decision, BJP MLA Bhimrao Tapkir warned of a massive agitation. "This is a grave injustice done to the people who have been residing alongside Sinhagad Road for the past several decades," Tapkir said. u00a0