Kasba Peth residents may boycott Lok Sabha polls

PUNE: Several Kasba Peth residents are considering boycotting the

Lok Sabha

polls to oppose the proposed Metro station in their area.

The residents have constituted a committee to oppose the Metro work. They do not want to relocate for the Metro station. The committee members stated they were discussing the boycott proposal among themselves and planning to intensify the opposition to the execution of the project.

Suresh Jain, a member of the committee, said, “We do not see a point to go for voting if our voice is being ignored.” He clarified that the residents were not opposed to any particular political party or a candidate. They simply wanted to send a message to the parties to consider their demands, he said.

“We do not want to politicize the issue. We have been living in Kasba Peth for many years. The Metro station was earlier planned in Budhwar Peth. It was shifted to Kasba Peth during realignment. About 240 families will have to shift. There is a need for reconsideration,” Jain said.

As many as 248 families and some commercial and religious structures are expected to be shifted for the Metro project. The residents stressed that they had submitted memoranda on various platforms to oppose the Metro station work. Yet, the authorities decided to go ahead with the metro work, residents claimed.

BJP’s Pune Lok Sabha seat candidate Girish Bapat has been representing the Kasba Peth assembly segment for the past five terms. He said talks with the residents were under way. They would not face hassles and get new homes within the area, he added.

The Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation, executing the Metro project, has set up an office in the Kasba Peth area to hold talks with the residents on relocation.

Businessman Rajesh Chhajed, a resident of the area, said, “We are against the station in Kasba Peth. Metro stations are coming up at Civil Court and at Mandai. Where is the need for a station in Kasba Peth when Civil Court and Mandai are at walkable distance?”

According to Kasba Peth resident Raju Dakare, authorities should come out with a fresh plan of alignment to avoid the displacement of people.