Panhala fort dwellers skip meeting called by collector to discuss UNESCO World Heritage Site nomination
Kolhapur: Panhala fort dwellers on Wednesday unanimously boycotted a meeting called by district collector Amol Yedge to discuss the nomination of the location for the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag.
The locals claimed that the notice regarding the meeting was issued on Tuesday night and gathering over 1,500 fort dwellers at the collectorate in such a short time frame was not feasible for them.
The residents are opposing the administration's move to nominate the fort for the UNESCO World Heritage Site tag amid fears that they would have to vacate the site if it is selected.
Now, the fort dwellers have demanded that Yedge conduct the same meeting at Panhala.
by Taboola
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Speaking at the Kolhapur district collectorate around noon on Wednesday, sub divisional officer of Panhala, Sameer Shingate, said, "The concerns of fort dwellers has been put forth before the collector, and he has agreed to conduct a meeting with the villagers at Panhala. It will be organised accordingly."
Meanwhile on Wednesday, a large crowd of residents also gathered at Panhala Municipal Council to protest against the nomination.
A resident told TOI, "Only a few people were invited for the collectorate meeting, that too by giving notices on Tuesday night. Residents need to go farming and for other work, so attending the meeting at such short notice wasn't feasible. Gathering over 1,500 fort dwellers from Panhala at the collector's office would have been inconvenient, so we took a decision to boycott the meeting."
Panhala resident advocate Ravindra Torse said, "Historical structures around the fort premises have remained intact only because of the settlement of fort dwellers. Our forefathers preserved this fort. If the administration is going to impose restrictions by keeping us in the dark, then we don't want this World Heritage Site status."
Recently, mobile towers on the fort were proposed to be shifted to the Jyotiba hill on a space of ten gunthas each, citing height reasons. Also, the tank supplying water to Panhala village was slated to be demolished. It has also been planned to shift govt offices from Panhala fort to Waghbil, sparking fears among local residents.
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