Fadnavis pushes for Kumbh Mela projects, say won’t tolerate tactics to delay works

Nashik: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday took cognizance of the undue delays in Kumbh Mela-related infrastructure works in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar, warning that any vested attempts to hinder progress would not be tolerated. He also instructed officials to devise measures to ease traffic flow across Nashik city.Chairing a meeting of the Kumbh Mela apex body in Mumbai on Friday, the chief minister assessed the progress of projects in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar and approved several additional works, taking the total sanctioned amount to Rs 22,181 crore.Shekhar Singh, commissioner of the Nashik Trimbakeshwar Kumbh Mela Authority, said the CM specifically discussed the stretch between Dwarka and Nashik Road on the Nashik-Pune National Highway. "The CM told officials to examine the feasibility of building vehicular underpasses at key intersections, allowing Pune-bound traffic to use the underpasses while local commuters navigate via overbridges," he said.Nashik Municipal Corporation and Ministry of road transport and highways will jointly execute the works on this crucial 6-km stretch, which includes multiple bottleneck points like Kathe Galli, Bodhale Nagar, Upanagar Naka and Datta Mandir. A senior officer present at the meeting said, "The CM also expressed concern over reports of unwarranted delays in ongoing projects. He warned that such disruptions would face strict action and that all works must be completed on time without compromising quality. Stakeholders with objections have been advised to approach the regulator, and any deliberate attempts to stall progress could invite legal consequences."The meeting was attended by ministers Chhagan Bhujbal, Girish Mahajan, Shivendraraje Bhosale and Pratap Sarnaik; MLAs Devyani Pharande, Seema Hiray, Pankaj Bhujbal and Rahul Dhikale; mayor Himgauri Adke and other senior officials.