PUNE : Bulldozers are set to roll into Golegaon and Kharabwadi villages in Khed taluka within the next two days to demolish commercial properties built as encroachments on Gairan (grazing) land. The administration has issued final notices to all property owners, giving them 24 hours to voluntarily remove their structures and belongings. Tehsildar Prashant Bedse emphasized that if owners fail to clear their belongings, the cost incurred by the administration during the eviction process will be recovered by placing a financial burden on their other registered properties.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Tehsil office on Friday, Tehsildar Bedse confirmed that the anti-encroachment drive is being conducted following strict mandates from the Supreme Court and the High Court. Revenue Naib Tehsildar Ram Bije, Resident Naib Tehsildar Chetan More, and Block Development Officer Vishal Shinde were also present at the briefing. While the Supreme Court ordered the immediate removal of encroachments on Gairan lands across the state, the dispute over properties in Golegaon and Kharabwadi was pending in the High Court. With the latest court ruling, all illegal private and institutional structures in both locations are now subject to demolition. The administration will focus on razing commercial establishments during this initial phase, while residential encroachments will be targeted after the monsoon season in September.

The impending drive has triggered widespread anxiety across the two villages near Chakan. As numerous small and large shops and commercial establishments face demolition, many families fear losing their primary source of livelihood and being rendered homeless. The planned action also threatens the building of a private school in Kharabwadi, raising serious concerns among parents and community members about the academic future of students right at the start of the school year. In total, the administration is set to demolish 373 unauthorized properties over the next two days, including 286 structures spanning two acres in Kharabwadi near Chakan and 87 structures across 1.5 acres in Golegaon near Alandi.