After Bhosari, Pune Metro’s name choice for Budhwar Peth station attracts protests

After Bhosari, Pune Metro’s name choice for Budhwar Peth station attracts protests

Pune Metro found itself in the middle of another controversy on Tuesday with workers of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena barging into an under-construction station near Mandai and putting up a banner seeking to change the name of the proposed Budhwar Peth station to Kasba Peth.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Pune city chief Sanjay More, who led the protest to the underground metro station, said, “Pune Metro has named it as the Budhwar Peth station while it falls in the Kasba Peth area. We have been demanding a change in the name but nothing was done to rename the station. The state government or Pune Metro officials have not done any study of the area before deciding the name of the station.”

Earlier, soon after the first phase of Pune Metro was inaugurated in March 2022, commuter organisations demanded a name change for the Bhosari station, adding that it should be renamed as Nashik Phata, where the metro services stop. Passengers have argued that Bhosari is situated 5 km away from Nashik Phata, which falls on the Pune-Mumbai highway. The name has not been changed despite officials responding to the passenger groups’ request positively.

The metro is yet to start operations on the underground route from Civil Court to Swargate, on which the proposed Budhwar Peth station falls. The route is expected to be operational by March-end as Pune Metro has begun a trial run on it.

More said that though Ramai Smarak had given its land near the Mata Ramai Ambedkar statue for a station, the metro has named it Ruby Hall, after a private hospital. Similarly, the metro station near the Pune regional transport office is named Mangalwar Peth, which he said did not make sense as Mangalwar Peth is at a distance from the station. He said the metro should have considered the name of Chhatrapti Shahu Maharaj for the station since the educational institute started by the erstwhile royal family for the poor is next to it.

“There are many such metro stations which have been given the wrong names and they should be changed, or the Shiv Sena (UBT) will launch aggressive protests in Pune Metro offices,” he said.

Hemant Sonawane, executive director of Pune Metro, said, “Pune Metro has received a written communication from the Shiv Sena (UBT) on changing the name of the Budhar Peth station to the Kasba Peth station. The station is not yet operational but we will take it up for discussion in an official meeting. However, there are many proposals demanding changes in the names of metro stations.”

For the latest news from across India, Political updates, Explainers, Sports News, Opinion, Entertainment Updates and more Top News, visit Indian Express. Subscribe to our award-winning Newsletter Download our App here Android & iOS