Government Departments Blamed for Delays in Pune Civic Projects; Municipal Commissioner to Escalate to CM
Pune, 8th September 2025: Several government departments have emerged as the biggest hurdles in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) development works, forcing the civic body to escalate the issue to the state’s top leadership.
Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishor Ram said on Monday that departments such as Irrigation, Revenue, Forest, Police, State Highways Authority, National Highways Authority, Public Works Department, Mahavitaran, and PMRDA are delaying civic projects by withholding land allocations, No Objection Certificates (NOCs), and work permissions. He announced that a list of pending cases will be submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for intervention.
War Room to Track Delays
The PMC has recently set up a war room to review ongoing projects. During one such review meeting, officials from departments including water supply, drainage, solid waste management, and construction raised complaints of delays caused by other government agencies.
“The development works carried out by the municipality are for the citizens. If projects are completed on time, it reduces public inconvenience and also saves municipal expenses. At such a time, it is wrong for government departments to obstruct. In many cases, despite clear orders from the state government, local officials are wasting time.
Therefore, the list of such works will be submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis,” Commissioner Ram said.
Irrigation Department Demands Rs 10 Crore
One of the major disputes involves the laying of a new 1200 mm water pipeline from the Parvati Water Centre to Bhavani Peth. The existing 700 mm pipeline, over 40 years old, is no longer sufficient for the growing population. The new pipeline is planned along the canal from Mitra Mandal Chowk to Nehru Road. However, the Irrigation Department has demanded Rs 10 crore as land rent for permitting the work.
Similarly, for the JICA-funded sewage treatment plant (STP) project, the Agricultural College site is required, but the Irrigation Department has been demanding an alternative site from PMC, further delaying possession.
Other Obstructions
The PMC has also reported complaints of delayed NOCs from the police department for road and water supply projects, while other agencies are accused of stalling approvals despite state government directions.
Municipal officials said such obstacles not only push up project costs but also prolong the inconvenience for citizens. By escalating the matter to the Chief Minister, the civic body hopes to fast-track pending approvals and bring crucial projects back on schedule.
