Pune: PMC to Fine Departments 10x Cost for Digging Roads Before Grand Challenge Cycle Competition
Pune, 8th October 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has issued strict instructions to prevent newly paved roads from being dug up due to inter-departmental coordination issues. The move comes as the city prepares for the Pune Grand Challenge Cycle Competition scheduled in January.
Commissioner Navalkishore Ram has warned that any department digging up freshly asphalted roads—including for sewage, water pipelines, cables, or other underground work—will face fines amounting to ten times the cost of the road work. Officials stressed that the “no excuse” policy is aimed at preserving roads and ensuring contractors do not benefit from expired defect liability periods.
The PMC has floated tenders worth Rs 145 crore to renovate the 75 km route of the cycling competition, with completion targeted before November. Previously, around Rs 300 crore was spent on asphalting 100 km of roads, but repeated digging after the defect liability period expired created losses for the civic body.
“All underground facilities must be completed before the competition so that the defect liability period is not compromised. This is crucial for maintaining the quality of roads and avoiding additional costs,” said Commissioner Ram in a Monday meeting chaired by him.
The meeting included representatives from the Road Department, Water Supply, Sewerage, MSEDCL, Traffic Police, and OFC cable companies, who were instructed to coordinate effectively and complete work in a planned manner.
In addition to road repairs, the PMC has approved Rs 10 crore for ancillary works including feeder pillars, street lamp painting, divider beautification, bush and garbage removal, and footpath repairs. Standard colors for paver blocks on pedestrian paths have been fixed as black and yellow, according to Om Prakash Divate, Additional Commissioner of the PMC.
The comprehensive renovation and beautification plan aims to ensure the city presents world-class infrastructure for the international cycling competition while reducing inconvenience to citizens.
