KMC finalises KSBP garden as site for Ajit Pawar memorial in Kolhapur

Kolhapur: The Kolhapur Municipal Corporation has finalised the KSBP Garden near Shivaji University as the site for a memorial dedicated to late Ajit Pawar. The decision was taken during a site visit by medical education minister Hasan Mushrif, MP Dhananjay Mahadik, mayor Rouparani Nikam and senior civic officials, who collectively agreed that the location was appropriate for the project.The proposal to build the memorial, moved by NCP group leader Adil Faras, was approved during KMC's first general body meeting on Feb 20. Since then, civic officials had been searching for a suitable plot. More than half an acre of municipal land at KSBP Chowk— earmarked earlier for a private beautification project but currently lying neglected — has now been cleared for the memorial. Given its visibility at a key junction near Shivaji University, Mushrif approved the site and deemed it ideal for the statue and accompanying structure."The memorial will be clearly visible to visitors entering Kolhapur and highlight Ajit Pawar's longstanding association with the city. Pawar contributed a lot to Rajaram College, a direct water pipeline project, the IT park, and other key initiatives," Mushrif said, while directing additional municipal commissioner Ravikant Adsul to rope in architect Sunil Patil for preparing the memorial and statue design.Mayor Rouparani Nikam said the KSBP site was chosen as the most suitable location to honour Ajit Pawar's memory. MP Mahadik said the spot held strategic significance and expressed confidence that after proper beautification, Kolhapur would get a high-quality statue — the first of its kind in Maharashtra. Work on the memorial is expected to begin soon.Mushrif also spoke about the recent confrontation between Shiv Sena group leader Sharangdhar Deshmukh and NCP group leader Adil Faras during the March 18 general body meeting. "Mahayuti leadership will resolve the dispute," he said, joking that if the two leaders failed to cooperate, they would be made to fight a "kusti" at the historic Khasbaug Maidan.