Pune: After CM Devendra Fadnavis' Directive, PCMC Revives Jobs Proposal For 13 Maval Protest Victims

Pimpri-Chinchwad: A resubmitted proposal to grant jobs in the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to 13 individuals injured in the firing during the protest against the Pavana closed pipeline project has been sent to the state government.

The municipal corporation has already provided permanent jobs to the heirs of the three farmers who died in the protest. The proposal regarding the injured was pending. As per the orders of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the administration has sent the revised proposal.

What’s The Matter?

The stay on the Pavana closed pipeline project work was lifted on 8th September 2023, and since then, movements have begun to restart this project. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis held a meeting with public representatives regarding this last month.

Following that, the district administration held a meeting with the farmers to understand their demands. Giving jobs to those injured in the protest is a demand of the farmers. Three farmers, Moreshwar Sathe, Kantabai Thakar, and Shamrao Tupe, died in the firing on the protesters opposing the project.

Farmers Yogesh Tupe, Shivaji Varve, Amit Dalvi, Vishal Raut, Ajit Chaudhary, Navnath Garade, Ganesh Taras, Tukaram Dalvi, Maruti Khirid, Kaluram Raut, Dattatray Pawar, Surekha Kude, and Nilesh Thakar were injured. The heirs of the deceased farmers, Akshay Sathe, Nitin Thakar, and Hausa Tupe, received jobs in the municipal corporation.

‘Previous Refusal Of Job To Injured People’

However, the municipal corporation had sent a proposal to the state government regarding giving jobs to the injured. The government refused to provide jobs to the injured, as it did not fit within the rules. Therefore, this decision remained pending. The farmers' demand that jobs should also be given to the injured or their heirs remained constant.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis ordered the initiation of the process regarding this in the meeting. Accordingly, the resubmitted proposal to grant jobs to the injured has been sent to the government for approval. After the government grants approval, they will be given jobs in the municipal corporation.

PCMC Additional Commissioner Vikrant Bagade said, “As per the chief minister's orders in the meeting held in Mumbai regarding the Pavana closed pipeline, the municipal corporation has prepared a proposal to grant jobs to 13 injured people. It has been sent to the government for approval.”

Protests Against The Project…

On 9th August 2011, thousands of farmers from around 75 villages in Maval tehsil staged a massive protest against the proposed Pavana closed pipeline project, which was planned to supply drinking water from Pavana Dam to Pimpri-Chinchwad. Farmers feared the project would reduce water available for irrigation and adversely affect future water security in their villages. As part of the agitation, protesters blocked the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Baur village.

The protest turned violent after clashes broke out between demonstrators and the police. Authorities said protesters pelted stones and that tear gas and other crowd-control measures failed to disperse the gathering before police opened fire. Farmer organisations, however, alleged that the use of live ammunition was excessive and unjustified.

The police firing left three farmers dead. The deceased were Shyamrao Tupe (29), Kantabai Thakar (40) and Moreshwar Sathe (49), and several others were injured. The incident triggered widespread outrage across Maharashtra, leading the state government to halt the pipeline project, order a judicial inquiry and transfer senior police officials. The Maval firing remains one of the most significant and controversial farmer protests in Pune district’s recent history.