Thane, Sep 29 (PTI) 'Vijayanata', a historic tank used in the 1971 Indo-Pak war and which was installed near the Mumbra railway station here in 2013, has been shifted to nearby Reti Bunder area, where it has been gathering dust since the last couple of years due to neglect, a local activist has alleged.

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When contacted, civic officials claimed that the tank was shifted to Reti Bunder area in August 2019 for maintenance purpose and it would be brought back to its original location soon.

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NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Jitendra Awhad was instrumental in getting the tank installed at Mumbra.

The then President Pratibha Patil had dedicated the tank to Major Manish Pitambare, who laid down his life in the line of duty.

Activist Dayanand Nene, who recently noticed the battle tank lying near the Reti Bunder area, said, "The tank is a pride of the country. However, it is now collecting dust after it was relocated."

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)