The Madhukar Ranguji Ghule vegetable market in Pune's Mohammadwadi, built on an amenity plot around 2019, remains non-functional. Citizens claim this project is a waste of public money, as it has been unused since its construction. They note that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) spent crores on the building's construction, and despite using taxpayers' money, the facility has not been put to use. Residents are now demanding its conversion into a police chowki.
"The vegetable market has turned out to be a massive waste of public money. For five long years, it has remained unused, while citizens continue to buy from hawkers on the road, benefiting only the contractor. This is a stark example of the PMC's failure. The situation demands accountability. Both the initiator and project backer should be probed for their roles in this project. It's time to repurpose the building by renovating and modernising it into a police chowki. This would not only utilise the existing infrastructure but also address the need for enhanced security in the area," said Jaymala Dhankikar, a social worker.
Daljeet Goraya, a nearby resident, said, "The one-storey building meant for a vegetable market wears a deserted look. Besides that area, there is an empty space where the authority has put up a black and white board stating 'the area is reserved for police.' However, there's nothing on that plot. Instead of building something from scratch in the open space, the vegetable market building could be used for some other purpose. It can be used by the police as a chowki."
Ashok Mehendale, a resident of Mohammadwadi, said, "The vegetable market in the area is non-functional, and many anti-social activities occur during nighttime. The vendors prefer to sell their vegetables near the main roads as these locations attract more customers. They might be avoiding this space due to high rental rates, preferring to sell their goods by the roadside. Since the vegetable space is vacant, I think it should be utilised for making a police chowki or police restrooms. There are 8-9 bars within 200 metres, and police patrolling is not frequent, which makes security in the area questionable. The civic authorities should act and make proper use of the area."
Meanwhile, speaking to The Free Press Journal, Rajendra Tamble, Executive Engineer, PMC said, "Most of the projects that were started during Covid or before that have some legal issues. There must be some issue due to which it remains non-functional. However, we will investigate and explain why it hasn't been put to use."
Bappu Barawakar, Junior Engineer, Construction Department, PMC, said, "The Mandai department has started the tender procedures for vendors. The rental amounts range from ₹25,000 to ₹50,000, and the department has already selected qualified vendors. It is now up to them when to start using the space. We completed the construction of the building, and now it's up to the Mandai department to start utilising the building."
