Pune: Rs 710 Crore Katraj–Kondhwa Road Widening Project Faces Fresh Delay in Land Acquisition

Pune, 9th April 2026: The long-delayed land acquisition process for the Katraj–Kondhwa Road widening project has missed yet another deadline, nearly eight years after the project was first initiated. The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) administration had earlier assured that the land acquisition would be completed before March 31, but the deadline passed without progress.

PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram and Additional Commissioner Jitendra Dudi had earlier stated that the acquisition process would be completed within the stipulated timeframe.

However, officials have now confirmed that the proposal for compulsory land acquisition is currently pending with the office of Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.

City Engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar acknowledged the delay and said approval from the state government is expected within the next three to four days.

The proposed road project, spanning approximately 3.5 to 4 kilometres, requires nearly 27 hectares of land. Officials said objections from some landowners had earlier slowed the acquisition process. The administration is now attempting to move ahead by initiating compulsory land acquisition to clear the remaining hurdles.

Over the past several months, multiple meetings have been held between the PMC, the District Collector’s office and the land acquisition department to expedite the process. While officials had expressed confidence about meeting the March 31 deadline, the proposal remains stuck at the final approval stage with the state government.

During a recent review meeting chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the project’s status was discussed and officials were assured that the proposal would receive approval soon.

The Katraj–Kondhwa Road widening project is estimated to cost around Rs 710 crore. The plan includes widening the road to about 50 metres, with six traffic lanes, service roads, footpaths and a dedicated cycle track. Authorities have also proposed flyovers and underpasses at key junctions to ease traffic movement.

At present, the narrow road and rising vehicular traffic have led to frequent congestion and an increase in accidents along the stretch. While the project is expected to significantly improve traffic conditions once completed, repeated delays in the land acquisition process have led to growing frustration among residents.