PMC Acquires 40 Gunthas of Land at Katraj Chowk After 28 Years, Paving Way for Traffic Relief
Katraj, 26th February 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has successfully acquired 40 gunthas of land at Katraj Chowk, a move that had been pending for 28 years. The acquisition, which cost the civic body ₹21.57 crore, is expected to alleviate the persistent traffic congestion at the busy intersection.
The acquired land, owned by Sanjay Gugle, is crucial for the expansion of Katraj-Kondhwa Road. As per the 1987 Development Plan (DP), a 30-meter-wide DP road and a 6,200 square meter park were proposed in this area. In the 2017 DP revision, the road width was increased to 60 meters, further impacting the land. Gugle had approached the High Court seeking cash compensation, which led to a court order directing the PMC to compensate him accordingly.
The land acquisition was carried out under the 2013 Land Acquisition Act. Special Land Acquisition Officers Harshad Ghule and Ajikya Patil officially handed over the possession documents to Pratibha Patil, Deputy Commissioner of PMC’s Land Acquisition and Management Department. The event was attended by Deputy Engineer Digambar Bigar, Branch Engineer Rupali Dhage, and Draftsman Santosh Shinde.
For years, Katraj Chowk has been a traffic bottleneck due to the narrow road leading to Kondhwa. The PMC had been trying to acquire the land using Transferable Development Rights (TDR) or Floor Space Index (FSI) as compensation. However, the landowner insisted on cash payment, leading to delays. Initially, the estimated cost of the land was between ₹3 crore and ₹4 crore, but under the Land Acquisition Act, the final payout escalated to ₹21.57 crore.
Several municipal officials, including former Commissioner Vikram Kumar, former Additional Commissioner Vikas Dhakne, City Engineer Prashant Waghmare, and Road Department Head Aniruddha Pawaskar, played a crucial role in facilitating the acquisition.
Pawaskar stated that with the land now in PMC’s possession, road widening and chowk expansion will commence, providing much-needed relief from traffic congestion.
