Khadki Ammo factory 'Redzone' becomes political battlefield

Demanding squatters' rehab before eviction from prohibited area, local netas try to outshout one anotheru00a0u00a0

The controversial 'Redzone', a prohibited area of 610-metre radius in Bhosari-Dighi belonging to the Ammunition Factory Khadki (AFK), is turning into a political battlefield. Claiming they are fighting for the common man, political parties are asking the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCNC) to go slow on the demolition of encroachments there.


Fate in the balance: The encroachments in the Redzone, a 610-metre
radius area in Bhosari-Dighi belonging tou00a0 Ammunition Factory Khadki.
Pic/Navnath Kaple

Divisional Comm-issioner Dilip Band had on Wednesday ordered the encroachments in the Redzone be immediately demolished. The orders were issued in a meeting attended by District Collector Vikas Deshmukh, PCMC Commissioner Ashish Sharma, AFK Senior General Manager B N Singh and other officers.

Nationalist Congress Party MLA Vilas Lande said, "I am not playing politics on this issue and have appealed to other political parties to come together for the good of the common people. I don't mind even if Sena's Member of Parliament elected from the area takes the initiative and discusses it with the central government and the Ministry of Defence."

Lande also did not forget to mention that he had been fighting for the cause since 20 years. Shiv Sena MP Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil had also called for a public meeting at the Ankush Landge auditorium in Bhosari to discuss the issue.

Shiv Sena leader Sulabha Ubale said, "The local MLA is misleading the public while our MP is striving to solve the issue. MP Adhalrao Patil has made correspondence for over 24 times with the defence authorities. We are time and again appealing to parties to keep aside politics over this issue and fight united."u00a0

250 dwellings face demolition
If the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation acts in accordance with Divisional Commissioner Dilip Band's orders to remove encroachments, 250 residential structures will be demolished immediately. After the meeting, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Ashish Sharma also hinted at immediate action if adequate police
bandobast was provided to the civic staff.