In a major breakthrough in the standoff between the villagers of Bopkhel and defence establishments College of Military Engineering (CME) and Ammunition Factory Khadki (AFK) following the closure of road passing through CME campus, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Friday directed the AFK to accommodate the alternate route outside the CME and shift their explosive material to a more secure area within their premises. The defence minister wants the issue to be resolved before his next Pune visit scheduled on December 24.Bopkhel villagers had been using the 2.3-km-long road within the CME campus to reach Pimpri or Dapodi. The road was, however, closed for them earlier this year following a Bombay High Court order, which cited security reasons. After its closure, villagers had to take a 12-km detour via Dighi, Kalas, Shantinagar and Khadki. To help them, the CME had constructed a temporary bridge, but it was opposed by the Ammunition Factory, which again cited security reasons. On Friday, the minister, after holding a meeting with district officials and defence authorities, also asked the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to float tenders for construction of a permanent bridge to replace the temporary one. The HC, which is still hearing the matter, had also directed the district administration and defence authorities to find an amicable solution to the problem. District collector Saurabh Rao said things would move ahead after directives by the defence minister. “The defence minister has asked the Ammunition Factory to accommodate the alternate route and shift its explosives somewhere else within its premises so that a permanent bridge can be constructed without villagers being exposed to the risk posed by explosives,” Rao said after the meeting. The defence minister has also asked the PCMC to go ahead and float a conditional tender for the bridge while waiting for an NOC from AFK. He said a survey would be conducted for the road after the bridge to connect villagers to the highway. “The survey would be jointly conducted by PCMC and AFK and the report will be submitted to the defence minister within a week,” said the collector. Push for Ghorpadi bridge project The pending project for Ghorpadi bridge or flyover too has got a push with the defence ministry asking the PMC to go ahead with the 33-metre width proposal it had come up with. –