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Maruti Bhapkar

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Maruti Bhapkar
File:Maruti Bhapkar pic.jpg
Born (1970-06-02) 2 June 1970 (age 54)
NationalityIndian
Known forExposed Sharad Pawar family involvement in Lavasa scam.[1]
Indian anti-corruption movement - 2011
Indian anti-corruption movement - 2012
Political partyAam Aadmi Party
Websitewww.marutibhapkar.org

Maruti Bhapkar is a founder member and convenor of Pune District for Aam Aadmi Party. [2] He is a well known social activist and IAC activist in Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune. He was a Corporator at Pimpri Chinchwad municipal corporation from year 2007 to 2012. He fought the 2009 Lok Sabha Elections from Maval as an Independent candidate.[3]

Jan Lokpal Andolan

Maruti Bhapkar was associated with Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal in the Jan Lokpal Andolan since the first day. He plays a significant role in the andolan related activities in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad area. [4] He participated in the Jail Bharo andolan following Anna-ji's call. He introduced a proposal supporting the Jan Lokpal Andolan in PCMC's general body meeting and it was passed with majority.

Experimentation and Implementation of Swaraj Model

[5]In his capacity as the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation corporator from 2007–2012, Maruti Bhapkar successfully implemented the Swaraj model in his ward. [6]Every 3 months, a Jan Sabha was held in the ward to engage public consulations on various issues such as roads, parks, cultural center, slum rehabilitation, electricity and police. He implemented public wishes that went against his personal opinion.[7]

Anti-corruption work

  • Since its establishment in 1982, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation was not audited until Maruti's intervention in 2000. He filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court following which an audit was conducted. The audit exposed Rs. 400 crores worth of irregularities.[8]
  • Bhapkar's agitation demanding action against irregularities in MIDC land allocation to NCP's Ajit Pawar aide resulted in Rs. 72 lakh fine against NCP MLA Vilas Lande.[9]
  • Using RTI, Maruti Bhapkar exposed the Pawar family involvement in Lavasa scam.[10]

Public Interest Agitations

Shri Maruti Bhapkar’s main activities in various movements and in social work/national service

1. Jan-Lokpal (Ombudsman) movement

The movement of Jan-Lokpal started under the leadership of Anna ji and Arvindji, in which Maruti ji was involved right from the first day. He played an important role in the activities relating to the Pimpri Chinchwad and Pune movements and also participated in the “fill the jails’ movements as instructed by Annaji. As Pimpri-Mohan Nagar’s councilor he tabled the proposal to support the movement and had it passed in the PCMC general assembly.


2. Having been a member of the Shiv Sena from 1984 to 1995, Maruti ji took up various local issues and agitated for their resolution. In 1992 he worked hard to get a councilor elected but seeing his changed behavior and altered role, he and the general public were disappointed and he decided to offer himself openly for the service of the people. Realising the ills of communal politics, Maruti ji left the Shiv sena in 1994.

Upon the request of his fellow workers, he stood for the municipal council elections in 1997 but lost by a margin of 250 votes. But not losing heart he continued to work for the people. After this he lost the election in 2002 by 38 votes and decided never to fight elections again. But pressured by his fellow workers and the public, he stood for elections in 2007 against the relatives of leading political leaders and one by a huge margin of 1800 votes. Out of the 105 councilors, 12 who were elected as Independent candidates, 10 councilors joined Sharad Pawar’s NCP and 1 joined Bala Saheb Thakre’s Shiv Sena. Both the parties asked MAruti ji to join them and offered many inducements. In February 2007, he called for a public meeting in the ward square and placed the offers and inducements before the people. The public instructed him to stay independent and fight against corruption. Following that public instruction, Maruti ji served for 5 years as councilor and served the public with loyalty and honesty.


3. Practice and implementation of Swaraj (Self-rule)

As a public servant (councilor) Maruti successfully practiced the establishment of self-rule in his ward between 2007 and 2012, when he called for a public meeting every 3 months in the public square sought the opinion of the public on various matters for example parks, public paths, cultural building, slum re-housing, electricity, police security and tried to get the administration to work towards implementation. Many a times he did not see eye to eye with the public opinion but adhered to general consensus. Arvind Kejriwal on one such occassion(19th Nov 2010)has made a detailed mention of Maruti Bhapkar's work in his Swaraj magazine.

To break the mindset that in politics only money and power works, he fought the 2009 election from Maval in which he was supported by illustrious people like Anna Hazare, Medha Patkar, Justice Sachar, Ulka Mahajan, Dutta Visalkar, Dr.Shriram Lagoo etc.


4. Maruti supported the following movements under the leadership of Anna Hazare

  1. Maharashtra RTI movement
  2. Office Delay (Dirangai)
  3. Gram Sabha Rights
  4. Prohibition Law


5. Under Special Economic Zone (SEZ) laws Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar tried to forcibly grab land in Hinjewadi Infotech Park, Lonavla, Karla, Rajguru Nagar, Wagholi. Raigad, Gorai – Mumbai, Aurangabad etc and he participated in the movement against them. This movement was led by leaders like Headmaster M D Patil, Medha Patkar, Ulka Mahajan. The result was that in some places the SEZ acquisition was cancelled.


6. Opposed and participated in the movement against the Delhi – Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) under the leadership of Ulka Mahajan


7. Participated in the movement and collected information against Lawasa (Sharad Pawar)Project.


8. Agitated for the rights of and justice for organized and unorganized lablur along with Shramik Ekta Sangh and 80 other unions in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Stays in close contact with them.


9. In Mawal district he agitated and went to jail for the cause of the Tata Dam, Pawna Dam, Wang Marathi Dam (Satara) Project affected people.


10. In Mumbai he played a key role in the Mankhurd, Ambedkar nagar, Golibar inhabitants’ Save Houses Make Houses movement.


11. In Pimpri Chinchwad he led the following movements:

  • a. Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Council had not been audited between 1982-2000. He filed a PIL in the Mumbai High Court against that and forced the council to get the audit done in which a Rs400 Crore fraud was detected.
  • b. Agitated against the Black marketing of Ration Cards.
  • c. Attempted to get the vigilance report acted upon against the PCMC Navnagar
  • d. Agitated against wrongful use of the land acquired by the relatives of local MPs.
  • e. In 2005, Navghar Development Authority had displaced 200 shacks. He agitated Development Authority’s then Admin Officer Arun Bhatia. MLAs from MIDC because of which MLA Vikas Lande had to pay a fine of Rs72 Lakhs. For 18 days to get them justice but when their demands were not met, Maruti abjured the use of Shoes or even chappals, and did not wear them for 7 years (until 2012). When the displaced people were allotted houses in 2012, they organized a mass rally where they honoured Maruti by ceremoniously adorning his feet with chappals.
  • f. Has been agitating for the last one year to get unauthorized construction (1,30,000) in PCMC regularized and is still persisting with it.
  • g. Pariticpant with Medha Patkar in the Rajiv Slum Redevelopment Plan.
  • h. Under JNNURM, a housing scheme for 13,250 people had been announced. PCMC was trying to shut down this scheme. He has been agitating against this for the last three years.
  • i. Has been agitating sicnce 2009 against a tax increase of 8% by PCMC.
  • j. Agitated for 23 days against increase in water meter charges. Forced the Municiple Council to cancel the increase.
  • k. Education Commission has been distributing low quality goods to students. He has raised his voice against this corruption.
  • l. Reduced the rate for Gunthewari(Small plot regularization under the Gunthewari Act) from Rs 12/- to Rs 3/-
  • m. Suicide of farmers – In support of fasting protests by Mohan Dharia ji and Agriculture specialist Budhaji Rao Milakh he fasted for 6 days in PCMC.

2009 Lok Sabha Election

Maruti Bhapkar fought the 2009 Lok Sabha Election to stand up against money and muscle. His main election plank was farmers' displacement because of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Raigad and Pune districts.[11][12] Though he received wide support from civil society leaders including Justice Sachar, Medha Patkar, Aruna Roy and Arvind Kejriwal.,[13] he lost the elections to Shiv Sena's Gajanan Babar.[14]

References

  1. ^ "Lavasa's issues cut deeper". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  2. ^ "Maruti Bhapkar of IAC arrested in Pune".
  3. ^ "ADR National Election Watch". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  4. ^ "Independent corporator Maruti Bhapkar".
  5. ^ "Bhapkar raring to go".
  6. ^ "A leader who empowers people".
  7. ^ "Maruti Bhapkar Indian Express".
  8. ^ "CBI to investigate PCMC's irregularities". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  9. ^ "Cheaper land for Ajit Pawar's aide cost MIDC Rs 2.99 cr: CAG". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  10. ^ "Lavasa's issues cut deeper". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  11. ^ "Maruti Bhapkar takes up farmers cause in Raigad". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  12. ^ "Independent corporator joins poll race in Maval". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  13. ^ "Crowd-pullers back barefoot Bhapkar". Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  14. ^ "General Elections to Lok Sabha 2009 (Maharashtra)" (PDF). Retrieved 28 February 2014.


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