Pune: Contractor Fined Rs 1 Lakh, Two PMC Engineers Suspended For Shoddy Roadwork in Warje
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 18th November 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has suspended two engineers and imposed a penalty of ₹1 lakh on a contractor after a video showing poor-quality roadwork in Warje went viral on social media. The footage, recorded by a local youth, showed asphalt peeling off due to improper compaction on a mud surface, raising fresh questions about monitoring and accountability in ongoing road projects.
Under the city’s pothole-free initiative, the civic body has been emphasising improved road quality. However, the Warje incident exposed serious lapses. After the video gained traction online, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram ordered immediate action. The contractor was fined and warned of blacklisting if such violations recur. The junior and deputy engineers responsible for supervising the work were suspended after their responses to the show-cause notices were found unsatisfactory.
The commissioner also conducted an inspection of several roadworks, covering areas such as the Peth region, Kasewadi, Tilak Road, Swargate and the Wadia Hospital vicinity. He instructed officials to include additional stretches during resurfacing to enhance overall road durability. Additional Commissioner Omprakash Divte, Road Department Head Aniruddha Pavaskar and Superintendent Engineer Ashit Jadhav were present during the visit.
Ram also reviewed the road-widening work at Shankarsheth Road, Seven Loves Chowk and the Vardhaman building area. He directed officials to bring stormwater and drainage chambers to proper level alignment to prevent future road damage.
During the inspection, the commissioner expressed displeasure over the non-use of sensor paver blocks purchased by the Road Department, which have been lying unused at the Hirabaug asphalt depot. He also pulled up the department for unhygienic conditions and scrap material scattered in the area, instructing immediate clean-up and corrective measures.
