Road through CME: Collector Rao to send Parrikar likely routes to highway.

Unrestricted passage through campus, or a flyover to bypass it. The solution to the problem faced by villagers of Bopkhel who have been using the road through the College of Military Engineering to reach the highway will be placed before Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar. Pune district collector Saurabh Rao will send the report. The proposed flyover will be from Bopkhel to Khadki.

The collector held a meeting with all stakeholders on Tuesday and will submit the report to the minister. The issue of unrestricted use of the road had cropped up during discussion on issues related to defence land. Parrikar had in Pune last week called for improving civil-military liaison and quick resolution of local issues pertaining to defence land. At the behest of Javadekar - who has formed cell to tackle issues related to Pune - it had been decided to present a detailed report before the defence minister.

In a follow-up meeting called by Rao recently representatives of the College of Military Engineering, Defence Estate Office, PCMC and Bopkhel village discussed the issue. Bopkhel villagers demanded unrestricted access. CME raised security issues. Options discussed included access to villagers between 6 am and 11 pm and restrictions at night, barring in emergency cases. A mobile number to be shared with villagers in case of any harassment was discussed. Villagers insisted on unrestricted passage arguing it was their right and they had been staying in the area for the last 50 years.

'The villagers are looking at peaceful co-existence. They demanded complete, unrestrained access but CME expressed security constraints. In the wake of the row, we explored the possibility of a flyover from Bopkhel to Khadki which will allow villagers to bypass the road through CME. Defence officials said the flyover will begin at CME and end at Khadki ammunition factory and that they will not object to land being used for the project as it would result in a permanent solution,' said Rao. However, a flyover would take at least two to three years to build and cost nearly Rs 40 crore. Besides, it will have to be decided as to who would put in the money.
The collector said in his report that he will put forward both options.


THE INDIAN EXPRESS