Velhe Taluka in Pune Renamed as ‘Rajgad’; Central Government Approval Granted to the Decision

Pune | The Velhe taluka of Pune district has now been officially renamed as Rajgad. The Central Government has given its approval to the new name. Velhe taluka lies at the foothills of the historic Rajgad Fort, which was the first capital of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Acting on the suggestion of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule had taken this decision.

Out of 70 gram panchayats in Velhe taluka, 58 along with the Pune Zilla Parishad had approved the resolution for the renaming, which was later granted approval by the Revenue Department. Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule’s decision is being hailed as historic. The Rajgad name has also received Central Government approval, and the Maharashtra Government will soon issue a Gazette notification.

Velhe taluka is home to major historic forts like Rajgad and Torna. The historic Rajgad Fort, where Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj administered Swarajya for 27 years, now lends its name to the taluka. The decision to rename Velhe taluka as Rajgad was taken in a meeting of the state cabinet. For many years, this had been a long-standing demand of the residents of Velhe taluka and Pune district. Now, that demand has been fulfilled in its true sense.

To rename Velhe taluka as Rajgad, positive resolutions were passed by 58 out of 70 gram panchayats. In the General Meeting of the Pune Zilla Parishad on 22 November 2021, the recommendation of ‘Rajgad’ was approved. On 5 May 2022, the Pune Divisional Commissioner submitted the proposal accordingly. Finally, the decision was made in the cabinet meeting to rename Velhe taluka as Rajgad, and now the Central Government has also approved the new name. The Maharashtra Government will soon publish the official Gazette notification.