*RPI protest takes Mayor, corporators by surprise* *Demand for declaring
Bhidewada a national monument; stir blocks entry, exit points to PMC
building* *Express News
Service*<http://www.expressindia.com/about/feedback.html?mailto=vvdeshmukh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Pune, August 25:* In a high voltage drama that unfolded at the Pune
Municipal Corporation building for over two hours on Friday, the Republican
Party of India brought 200-odd schoolgirls on the road and blocked all
entries and exits of the civic headquarters.
The demonstrations, organised in such a manner that they would coincide with
the civic general body meeting, made it impossible for Mayor Rajani
Tribhuvan and atleast 15 corporators to enter the building and participate
in a special meeting over the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission
programme.
<http://banners.expressindia.com/adsnew/adclick.php?bannerid=2003&zoneid=470&source=&dest=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marutinri.com%2F>With
rains pouring in, Tribhuvan and other corporators had to take shelter in a
nearby pandal erected for Ganeshotsav. While the girls were getting
drenched, the mayor and corporators sipped tea.
The RPI was demanding national monument status for Bhidewada, where social
reformer couple Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule had started the country's
first school for girls in the year 1887. Leader Parshuram Wadekar claimed
that the PMC had failed to restore the wada as well and take any steps to
bring the national monument status. ''Allocation of Rs one crore must be
made for Bhidewada,'' he demanded.
The school girls, belonging to the age group of eight to 15 years, braved
the rain and formed a human chain around the PMC building. Ironically, the
girls were unaware of the reason for the protest. ''Our teachers told us to
come for the protest and so we came here. It is something for a 'smarak'
(monument) that we are standing here for,'' said Amruta Landge, a Std X
student from Sant Gadge Maharaj School at Yerawada. The same was the case
with other girls too who repeated slogans of Hya Mahapauranche karayche kay,
khali doke war paay (what should be done of this Mayor).
While the civic officers were refused entry to or exit from the PMC
building, the GB was proceeded with by Deputy Mayor Nilesh Magar, it was
stalled for half hour as standing committee chairman Jayant Bhokare and
Leader of House Ramesh Bagve came to take review of the situation. Bagve
said that all political parties and leaders were in favour of national
monument status for Bhidewada. ''We agree there has been considerable delay
in this and it is the failure of all political parties,'' Bagve said.
Only a few days back, the civic body approved the proposal of granting
national monument status for Bhidewada. The proposal is now up for sanction
of the State government. Additional Municipal Commissioner (Special) Mohan
Adtani said that the State Urban Development Department has forwarded the
proposal of Bhidewada to the Union Ministry of Cultural Affairs for giving
it the status of national monument.
Bhidewada a national monument; stir blocks entry, exit points to PMC
building* *Express News
Service*<http://www.expressindia.com/about/feedback.html?mailto=vvdeshmukh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
*Pune, August 25:* In a high voltage drama that unfolded at the Pune
Municipal Corporation building for over two hours on Friday, the Republican
Party of India brought 200-odd schoolgirls on the road and blocked all
entries and exits of the civic headquarters.
The demonstrations, organised in such a manner that they would coincide with
the civic general body meeting, made it impossible for Mayor Rajani
Tribhuvan and atleast 15 corporators to enter the building and participate
in a special meeting over the Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission
programme.
<http://banners.expressindia.com/adsnew/adclick.php?bannerid=2003&zoneid=470&source=&dest=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.marutinri.com%2F>With
rains pouring in, Tribhuvan and other corporators had to take shelter in a
nearby pandal erected for Ganeshotsav. While the girls were getting
drenched, the mayor and corporators sipped tea.
The RPI was demanding national monument status for Bhidewada, where social
reformer couple Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule had started the country's
first school for girls in the year 1887. Leader Parshuram Wadekar claimed
that the PMC had failed to restore the wada as well and take any steps to
bring the national monument status. ''Allocation of Rs one crore must be
made for Bhidewada,'' he demanded.
The school girls, belonging to the age group of eight to 15 years, braved
the rain and formed a human chain around the PMC building. Ironically, the
girls were unaware of the reason for the protest. ''Our teachers told us to
come for the protest and so we came here. It is something for a 'smarak'
(monument) that we are standing here for,'' said Amruta Landge, a Std X
student from Sant Gadge Maharaj School at Yerawada. The same was the case
with other girls too who repeated slogans of Hya Mahapauranche karayche kay,
khali doke war paay (what should be done of this Mayor).
While the civic officers were refused entry to or exit from the PMC
building, the GB was proceeded with by Deputy Mayor Nilesh Magar, it was
stalled for half hour as standing committee chairman Jayant Bhokare and
Leader of House Ramesh Bagve came to take review of the situation. Bagve
said that all political parties and leaders were in favour of national
monument status for Bhidewada. ''We agree there has been considerable delay
in this and it is the failure of all political parties,'' Bagve said.
Only a few days back, the civic body approved the proposal of granting
national monument status for Bhidewada. The proposal is now up for sanction
of the State government. Additional Municipal Commissioner (Special) Mohan
Adtani said that the State Urban Development Department has forwarded the
proposal of Bhidewada to the Union Ministry of Cultural Affairs for giving
it the status of national monument.