At a time when the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government and Raj Bhavan incumbent Bhagat Singh Koshyari are engaged in a political war over state government’s jet, a newly-elected sarpanch from Ahmednagar district made news when he flew in a helicopter to take charge.
Hundreds of people assembled to see the helicopter and welcome Jalinder Gagare at Ambi-Dumala village in Sangamner in Ahmednagar, nearly 200 kms from downtown Mumbai.
The 50-year-old Gagare is a local businessman and stays in Pune. He flew in from Pune in a chopper and after landing he sat on a bullock cart to reach the gram panchayat office.
The nine-member panel led by Gagare has swept the polls in Ambi-Dumala. “I wanted to work for the village and come back to my village,” he said.
Gagare added that he wanted to make this a memorable event in the village’s history – and that was the purpose of coming in a helicopter.
Despite being in Pune, he had not lost connection with the village and had given employment to several youths of his village and neighbouring areas. "I want to develop the village and transform it completely," he added.
Published 12 February 2021, 15:04 IST