Pandharpur Corridor Project Needed To Manage Rising Warkari Footfall: Eknath Shinde

Mumbai: The proposed Pandharpur Corridor Project is a necessity as the existing roads and public spaces are inadequate to accommodate the growing number of Warkaris visiting the Lord Vitthal temple every year, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Sunday.

Shinde, who visited the temple during the ongoing Ashadhi Ekadashi pilgrimage, said local farmers and residents would be taken into confidence regarding the proposed project and that no force would be used.

Clarifying the Maharashtra government's stand on the issue, Shinde reiterated that the Mahayuti government is committed to the welfare of the common people. He said local farmers had sought a meeting to discuss their concerns and assured them that no development work would proceed without consultation.

"Our government belongs to the common man. No force will be used for any development project, and nothing will be implemented without taking the affected stakeholders into confidence," Shinde said.

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He announced the expansion of healthcare camps and essential amenities for pilgrims, along with measures for water management along the Chandrabhaga (Bhima) River during the pilgrimage season.

The ₹4,150-crore Pandharpur Corridor Project, modelled on the Varanasi and Ujjain Mahakal corridor projects, was approved by a high-powered committee in May. However, the proposal has faced criticism from those fearing the loss of land and the demolition of maths and other religious structures as part of the redevelopment.

Shinde said long-term planning was essential in view of the rising number of pilgrims, but assured that no injustice would be done to residents, farmers or local business owners whose families had lived in the area for generations. Referring to the Samruddhi Expressway, he said initial opposition had subsided once its economic benefits became evident. He added that the government was willing to modify route alignments wherever genuine local concerns persisted.

Addressing concerns over the project's impact on flood management along the Chandrabhaga (Bhima) River, Shinde said water management formed an integral part of the corridor plan to prevent shortages during the pilgrimage season.

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