Special Correspondent, Pune:
With the municipal elections yet to take place, the Pune Municipal Corporation is currently under the control of an administrator. This has reportedly led to increasing arrogance among civic officials. A clear example was seen when senior state cabinet minister and former guardian minister of Pune district, Chandrakant Patil, received evasive responses from an officer, prompting him to issue a warning of agitation.
Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil became aggressive regarding the Sus waste-to-CNG project. During a meeting at his residence with Deputy Commissioner of the Solid Waste Management Department, Sandeep Kadam, Patil expressed strong displeasure and warned, “If the project is not shut down today, don’t force me to sit in protest with a chair tomorrow.”
There has been a continuous demand for the closure of the wet waste-to-CNG project on Sus Road. A decision to gradually shut down the plant and shift it to Nande-Chande was made in January 2024. During today’s meeting, Patil reviewed the current status of the project and questioned why the relocation had not yet happened. In response, Kadam allegedly gave vague and evasive answers.
Angered by the lack of action by the municipal corporation, Patil expressed his frustration in strong words. He also contacted Municipal Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale via phone and condemned the poor functioning of the administration. Patil issued a stern warning to Kadam, stating that if the project was not shut down immediately, he would be forced to stage a sit-in protest the next day.