PONDA: The Curti-Khandepar Panchayat continued its ongoing drive against illegal encroachments on panchayat open spaces, with a bulldozer demolishing an unauthorised structure belonging to former sarpanch Gurudas Khedekar on Monday.
The encroached structure—a shed—was located in the same panchayat open area at Zingadimaal, Curti, where the Panchayat had previously demolished various illegal constructions belonging to Damu Naik, including a chicken shop, rented rooms, and a workshop.
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On discovering the structure built by the former sarpanch, the panchayat body, led by Sarpanch Nilkant Naik and panch Bhika Kerkar, immediately moved to demolish it.
It is worth noting that Khedekar had recently filed a disqualification petition against Kerkar for alleged illegal construction. Although the BDO initially disqualified Kerkar, the court later overturned the ruling, allowing him to continue in office.
Asked if the demolition was linked to a personal rivalry with Kerkar, Khedekar denied any animosity. “There’s no rivalry. I only filed a case against him for illegal constructions, and the matter is now before a higher court,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kerkar alleged “Khedekar had encroached on the open space with a ground-plus-one structure during his tenure as sarpanch and the action was taken following a directive from the Additional Director of Panchayats to clear encroachments in panchayat open spaces,” he said.
This marks the second such demolition in the same locality within a week.
