Scuttling the state government plans to use a two-acre plot alongside Ambedkar Bhavan in Mangalwar Peth for commercial purpose, the Pune Municipal Corporation is all set to take up expansion of the Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial by acquiring the land from Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and create facilities for the education and empowerment of the backward communities. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had reserved the plot for public or semi-public purposes however, the state government changed its reservation to develop a commercial complex to generate revenue for the MSRDC. “The expansion should include the memorial’s use for public purposes like hostel, library and training facility for students of oppressed classes,” she said. Nandini Dhende had submitted a letter to the City Improvement Committee demanding that reservation on the concerned plot be maintained and necessary decisions taken for the expansion of Ambedkar Cultural Bhavan. It also recommended that the government should approve the expansion of Babasaheb Ambedkar memorial.