The Bhide Wada National Memorial in Pune’s Budhwar Peth is expected to be completed by March next year, state Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal said during an inspection of the site on Saturday, while directing the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to accelerate land acquisition for the planned expansion of Phule Wada in Ganj Peth.
Bhujbal said construction at Bhide Wada had moved slowly in its initial stages but had now been expedited. He said Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram had also assured him that the memorial would be completed by the March deadline. The minister said he had repeatedly raised the delay with the state government at Mantralaya.
According to officials present during the inspection, the reinforced cement concrete work, steel structure, brickwork and internal and external plastering have been completed. The framework for the false ceiling and the fire-fighting system are also ready. Electrical work is under way, while audio-visual and holography systems are being installed under the supervision of a dedicated committee.
The memorial is being developed on a plot measuring about 272.57 square metres, with a proposed built-up area of 1,114.55 square metres. The PMC has estimated the cost at Rs 35 crore. The facility is planned to use audio-visual technology and interactive displays to present the lives and work of Mahatma Jyotirao Phule and Savitribai Phule.
The complex is also expected to include a skill development centre for girls and women, a library, a guidance centre, a computer centre and an amphitheatre. Bhide Wada is historically significant because it is the site where the Phules started the country’s first school for girls.
The memorial project followed years of legal and administrative delays. The PMC general body passed a resolution in 2008 to take over the building and develop a national memorial, but tenants challenged the decision in court. The civic body secured a favourable outcome after a legal dispute lasting about 13 years. Bhujbal also referred to a hunger strike that had taken place over the delays and said the project had now received government approval.
After visiting Bhide Wada, Bhujbal inspected Phule Wada in Ganj Peth, the former residence of the Phule couple. He paid tribute to their statues and reviewed the proposal to expand the site and develop a memorial. Bhujbal said the state government had approved the reservation for the project, the plan was ready and Rs 200 crore had been set aside.
He asked the PMC to complete the land acquisition process immediately and appealed to local residents and other agencies to cooperate. The next formal milestone for Bhide Wada is the completion of the remaining electrical, audio-visual and holography work before the March deadline.
