Ajit Pawar along with Anil Deshmukh, Nitin Raut, Prakash Ambedkar and Ramdas Athavale visited the Jaystambh on Friday.
(Photo: Ashish Kale) Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who is also the guardian minister of Pune, on Friday spoke about the need to create more facilities at the ‘Jaystambh’. “I have discussed it with the district collector. The land (of Jaystambh) belongs to private persons. People would be visiting the place to pay homage in the coming years. So there is a need for developing some facilities here. State government plans to acquire the private land and give proper compensation against it,” he said, speaking to media persons.
When contacted, Honorary Captain Balasaheb Jamadar, who belongs to the family claiming possession of “Jaystambh” land, said they have not yet received any communication from the state government in this regard.
As per historical records, ‘Jaystambh’ was erected (at Perne village) by the British government in 1821 in memory of its soldiers who fought against the Peshwas at Koregaon Bhima on January 1, 1818. Later,the Britishers had appointed their soldier Kandojibin Gajoji Jamadar (Malvadkar), who was wounded in the battle of Koregaon Bhima, as caretaker of the ‘Jaystambh’ on December 13, 1824.
Successors of Jamadar, belonging to the Maratha community, claim that as per ‘Sanad’ given to Kandojibin Gajoji Jamadar by British government, possession of about 260 acres of awarded land along with the “Jaystambh” land was given to their family till the time their male progeny continues. A dispute over the “Jaystambh” land between the state government and Jamadar family is currently pending in the Bombay High Court.