Administration Must Ensure Quality and Standards in Development Projects: Deputy CM Ajit Pawar

Kolhapur : Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Ajit Pawar has directed the administration to maintain high standards and quality in ongoing development projects across the district. He emphasized that there should be no compromise on quality and that facilities should be developed considering future population growth.

A review meeting on major development projects in the district was held at the Rajarshi Shahu Auditorium in the District Collector’s office. The meeting was attended by Guardian Minister Prakash Abitkar, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif, former MLA Rajesh Patil, and Babasaheb Asurlekar.

Pawar stressed the importance of appointing experienced contractors for development projects, ensuring that substandard work is avoided. Speaking about the restoration and beautification of Panhala Fort, he urged officials to involve local stakeholders and complete the work promptly to boost tourism. He assured that the government would immediately allocate necessary funds and would also coordinate with the central government for additional resources if required.

District Collector Amol Yedge informed that a new administrative building at Shenda Park would house 30 departments. He also mentioned that locals at Panhala Fort were supportive of the restoration work and that the foundation stone for Kolhapur’s International Convention Center would be laid in the first week of May. Additionally, he requested government funding of approximately ₹70 crore for ongoing district development projects.

Kolhapur Municipal Commissioner K. Manjulakshmi requested the allocation of two acres of land at Shenda Park for the new municipal corporation building. She also reported that the first phase of renovation work at the Sangeetsurya Keshavrao Bhosale Theatre was nearing completion. Meanwhile, District Council CEO Karthikeyan S. highlighted that Kolhapur’s educational standards are better than other districts and that a five-year strategic plan will be implemented for the successful execution of the ‘Samruddha Shala’ campaign covering 1,958 district schools.

During the meeting, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar reviewed various development projects, including the Mahalaxmi/Ambabai Development Plan, Jyotiba Temple Development Plan, Panhala Fort restoration and beautification, Cricket Stadium, International Convention Center, Sangeetsurya Keshavrao Bhosale Theatre renovation, Kolhapur Airport, Panchganga pollution control, Shahu Memorial Hall, the new administrative building at Shenda Park, IT Hub, Shenda Park Hospital, Sarathi Institute, and the Kolhapur-Ratnagiri NH-166 project.

District Collector Amol Yedge presented a detailed report via PPT. The meeting was attended by senior officials, including Municipal Commissioner K. Manjulakshmi, Superintendent of Police Mahendra Pandit, District Council CEO Karthikeyan S., Medical Dean Dr. Satyawan More, Civil Surgeon Dr. Supriya Deshmukh, District Planning Officer Vijay Bhopale, and Resident Deputy Collector Sanjay Teli, along with heads of various departments.