Speaking at a public function after inaugurating a series of civic development works of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), Pawar observed that the nation was passing through a critical phase and it was necessary that the people stand united and overcome the difficulties.

Pawar appreciated the patriotic fervor of the students in Sangvi in Pimpri-Chinchwad who collected Rs 10,000 for the families of the soldiers fighting in Kargil. Mayor Madhukar Pawle, additional commissioner R B Konde, corporators and other civic authorities were present at the function. Conspicuous by his absence was MLA Ramkrishna More who was invited for the function. More, a one-time close confidant of Pawar, has been highly critical of Pawar since the latter left the Congress.

Reiterating that the BJP-led government at the Centre which had been making claims to regain Pak occupied Kashmir area, owes an explanation to the nation as to how the military operations by Pakistan which continued for at least five to six months before their intrusion into the Kargil sector went unnoticed, Pawar maintained that the issues concerning Kargil however will not be raised at this juncture.

Pawar asserted that the Indian army will be successful in driving out the infiltrators but also pointed out that till now there has been a heavy loss of human life. Pawar said that when he was the defence minister he himself had visited some of the sectors along the border. The Pakistan army, he said, returned early in May instead of June and captured Indian posts. The Indian and the Pakistan armies usually return to the Loc in June. It is not possible to carry out air strikes to drive away the infiltrators because of the concern regarding crossing of the line of control, he said.

During his speech, Pawar lauded the PCMC efforts in increasing the green cover in the township. He urged the people to support the civic authorities and the corporators to take up the challenge in further development of gardens and carrying out more tree plantations to make Pimpri-Chinchwad a garden city.

Pawar laid the foundation stone for the proposed PCMT bus depot at Rahatni survey number 20, inaugurated the vegetable market, maternity home at Sangvi, a municipal school at Kalewadi, a multipurpose complex at Pimprigaon, inaugurated the Mahaveer Park created on the lines of Osho nallah park at Mohannagar Chinchwad. The Akurdi snake park has been named as Nisargakavi Bahinabai Choudhary Park.