Nagpur's Besa-Pipla region is set for a significant infrastructure transformation, with the state government announcing substantial new funding for critical projects. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule declared an additional Rs 30 crore for the under-construction Besa-Pipla road, a project that may now be extended to connect with the Outer Ring Road.
Major Funding for Roads and Drainage
The announcement came during the swearing-in ceremony of the first-ever council body of the Besa Pipla Nagar Panchayat on Monday. Bawankule stated that Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has allocated the funds for the road. This development follows a series of reports by TOI highlighting the dangerous condition of the road, which tragically claimed the life of 72-year-old Rangrao Patil in November last year.
In addition to this, the minister announced Rs 18 crore for another crucial road link from Atharva Nagri to Besa Square. He also revealed that the state has already commissioned the construction of an extensive underground drain network in the area, valued at a whopping Rs 195 crore.
Political Strategy and Development Vision
Bawankule, the Kamptee MLA, addressed the challenges faced by the BJP in accommodating all aspirants during the recent local body elections, offering a sincere apology to senior leaders and assuring future accommodation. He explained the party's strategic decision in Besa, noting that after Kirti Badole lost the Zilla Parishad elections by a narrow margin, the party fielded her for the Nagar Panchayat president's post, which was reserved for an SC woman.
The minister set clear expectations for the newly elected representatives, mandating that they keep their offices open for at least three hours daily and organize a Janta Darbar every Sunday. He reiterated his commitment to providing property cards for every house in Besa through a drone-based survey, assuring residents that the exercise, which usually costs around Rs 4,000 per plot, would be conducted free of charge.
Transformation from Village to Nagar Panchayat
Reflecting on the area's remarkable journey, Bawankule highlighted that in 1995, Besa was merely a village lacking basic amenities. Its expansion through housing societies came with initial challenges like no water or electricity. He credited former guardian minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for bringing Besa under the Nagpur Metropolitan Region Development Authority (NMRDA) in 2014 and converting it from an agricultural to a residential zone, legalizing existing houses. When NMRDA regularisation proved costly, the area was designated a Nagar Panchayat to ease norms.
Former MLA Tekchand Savarkar, instrumental in elevating Besa-Pipla to a Nagar Panchayat, highlighted infrastructure achievements. He pointed to the newly developed 12-metre DP road to Velahari, built without government funding, which has significantly boosted land values. Savarkar credited the rapid development of the past three years to collective party worker effort and took a dig at the Congress, stating it lacks long-term vision. He praised PM Narendra Modi, Fadnavis, Gadkari, and Bawankule for making Nagpur one of India's fastest-developing cities.
On a lighter note, Savarkar mentioned an initial tussle with a senior leader over the appointment of the first administrator for Besa-Pipla, a matter resolved after intervention by CM Fadnavis. The minister also commented on the Gondwana Gantantra Party's win in Butibori and celebrated the BJP's historic victory in the Kamptee Municipal Council after several decades, recalling that he had once trailed by nearly 18,000 votes in Kamptee town during Assembly elections.
