Victims' relatives waiting for jobs promised a year ago

Relatives of those who lost their lives in the Wadgaon Maval police firing are still awaiting the jobs promised to them in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) a year ago.u00a0Every time they approach the authorities, they are told to wait for some more time. The relatives also claim that local MLA Sanjay Megade did not highlight the question in the Legislative Assembly session as well.

Dead End: Police clear the expressway near Talegaon toll plaza after the firing incident last year. File Pic

Moreshwar Sopan Sathe (40), Kantabai Thakar (38), and Shyam Raghu Tupe (29) died in the police firing. "Somnath Thakar, cousin of Kantabai Thakar, said, "Kantabai's son is still waiting for a job. We are following the issue with the PCMC since many months, but in vain. Last time, we had a meeting with the PCMC mayor and commissioner. They had said they would let us know in ten days. Three months later we are still waiting."

Chintaman Tupe, cousin of Shyam Tupe, said, "We have been following up with many people but there is no development yet." u00a0Eknath Tile, former chairman of the Maval Taluka Panchayat Samiti, who had taken the victims' kin to Mantralaya in Mumbai, said, "Till date, we are waiting for the promises to be fulfilled. We are constantly following this with all representatives as well but they should highlight the issue in Mantralaya." The relatives of the victims who lost their lives are debating whether they should take the matter to the Mantralaya.

Case history
The Wadgaon Maval police firing incident took place on August 9, 2011, when farmers were protesting against the pipeline being laid from Pawana dam to the PCMC near Bour village in Maval Taluka. Three people, including a woman, died in the open firing by the police to curb the protest.

The other side
While denying the fact, Sanjay Megade, MLA of the area, said, "I have been following the issue with concerned authorities. Even I am keeping myself abreast of the developments in the report on the incident by M G Gaikwad, a retired judge, and one-person committee formed by the government to report on the incident. The report is yet to be submitted in the session. We have also given jobs to some relatives of the injured in private firms. I had approached the PCMC officials with the issue but there are no vacant posts."u00a0