Maharashtra’s Forts Neglected Even After 75 Years Of Independence, Says Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje

Pune, 16th April 2023: Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje expressed his regret on Sunday that the forts of the Maharashtra state have been neglected even after 75 years of independence. While political leaders frequently mention Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his forts, Raje pointed out that there has been no actual effort towards their preservation and conservation. He criticized the government’s plan to adopt forts solely for the purpose of boosting tourism, emphasizing that their preservation is more important than tourism.

Raje spoke during the launch of ‘Mazh Gadprem,’ a book written by Assistant Commissioner of Police Suraj Gurav and published by Bifocals Publications. He expressed the hope that the forts would be conserved without disturbing the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

While authority was established for the conservation of Raigad, the preservation and conservation of forts have been hindered by bureaucratic red tape. Raje expressed the expectation that the history of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj would not be buried and urged for the forts to be conserved.

Various dignitaries were present at the event, including fort researcher Prof. P K. Ghanekar, Superintendent of Police of Anti-Corruption Bureau Amol Tambe, Superintendent of Police of Wireless Rajesh Bansode, Deputy Conservator of Forests Rahul Patil, Superintendent of State Excise Pune Charan Singh Rajput, Additional Collector Ajay More, and archaeological researcher Sachin Joshi.