Pune: MLA Pathare Ends Hunger Strike After 12 Hours as PMC Starts Work on Long-Pending Lohgaon-Kharadi Road
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Lohgaon, 2nd May 2025: The long-pending roadwork connecting Lohgaon and Wagholi finally saw movement after Vadgaonsheri MLA Bapusaheb Pathare launched a hunger strike, which he called off after 12 hours once the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) began the construction work.
Pathare began his hunger strike at 8:30 am on Friday, demanding immediate action on a 300-meter stretch of road passing through Forest Park and Gothan Odha. The road, pending for nearly a decade, had become a daily struggle for citizens, with school children, senior citizens, and even ambulances facing difficulties due to its incomplete condition.
Citing years of administrative neglect, Pathare said, “For the last 8-10 years, no official has taken this road seriously. Even though the landowner is ready, the administration has delayed the work with excuses over calculations, documents, and execution. Citizens’ lives are at stake, and all they hear is ‘doing’ and ‘looking’—this cannot continue.”
As public support poured in and local residents and activists joined him at the protest site, the PMC administration sprang into action. Key officials—including Road Department Chief Engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar, Deputy Commissioner of Zone 1 Rajendra Jagtap, and other engineers—visited the spot and initiated work.
Despite the start, Pathare refused to back down initially, demanding a commitment to completion, not just a symbolic beginning. It was only after Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B. P. arrived in the evening and assured continuous work that Pathare ended his strike.
“The hunger strike may have ended, but my vigilance has not,” Pathare warned. “I will keep watch until the road is fully asphalted, safe, and usable. Timeliness and quality are non-negotiable.”
