Pune: Khadakawasla MLA Bhimrao Tapkir Slams Maharashtra Water Dept. for Targeting Poor, Sparing Commercial Encroachments
Mumbai/Pune, 18th July 2025: Unjust actions by the Maharashtra Water Resources Department in the Panshet Area of Pune District became a matter of heated discussion in the Maharashtra Legislature today. The issue was brought to the Assembly’s attention by Bhimrao Tapkir, MLA from Khadakwasla Constituency, highlighting alleged selective action against the poor while commercial establishments were left untouched.
On 25th February, ancestral homes belonging to dam-affected farmers Kisan Kadu, Vijay Kadu and Haribhau Kadu in Vanzarwadi (Velhe taluka) were demolished by authorities under police protection. These families, with a long-standing history as Panshet dam-affected and resettled persons, lost homes which had existed for many years.
In a significant observation, MLA Tapkir emphasized that while poor families faced demolition of their homes, no action has been taken against hotels, resorts, and commercial buildings found in the same zone. He termed the selective enforcement as a serious concern.
Two major demands were put forth in the legislature: firstly, that a detailed list and official report of unauthorized hotels, resorts, and commercial structures in the catchment areas of Gunjawani, Panshet, and Varasgaon dams be presented; and secondly, that the government must disclose the names of these encroachers, the nature of their ownership, the status of the concerned plots, and information on any actions taken or pending against them.
MLA Tapkir strongly asserted in the Assembly that if government agencies are acting against the poor in the watershed area while safeguarding the interests of wealthy business operators, it is a matter requiring urgent government intervention and impartial review. He demanded that the government pursue fair and uniform action in this matter.
