During the ongoing winter session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole urged the reopening of all playgrounds within government institutions. These playgrounds, closed to public access since the pandemic's onset, were previously frequented by morning walkers and children.
"Playgrounds within government institutions, particularly those in Shivajinagar such as the College of Engineering Pune (COEP), Agricultural College, Government Polytechnic Pune, Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Aundh, and others, have remained inaccessible to citizens since the pandemic began. These spaces, which traditionally served as community hubs, are essential for exercise, sports, and children's play and should be reopened promptly," emphasized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader.
"The issue of traffic has escalated in Pune, leaving limited space for people to engage in morning and evening walks. Consequently, this is tarnishing the government's image in the eyes of the public. I urge that, at the very least, on certain days and during specific hours, government grounds be made available to the general public. This move would greatly benefit a lot of people," he further added.
Earlier on Thursday, Shirole strongly demanded a halt to nighttime construction activities in the city.
"Construction work conducted at night has prompted numerous complaints about noise, significantly impacting the lives of senior citizens and children," he expressed.
Highlighting the absence of municipal regulations governing construction hours, Shirole called upon the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to establish clear guidelines.
Despite explicit Supreme Court orders restricting construction to the hours between 8am and 10pm, Shirole highlighted the persistent disregard for these directives.
"It was brought to my notice that PMC has not established specific regulations regarding permissible hours for construction work, despite directives from the Supreme Court. There is also a lack of guidelines on the precautions and care needed to ensure minimal disturbance to the surrounding citizens during these activities," Shirole added.
