Pune: Bombay High Court Directs PMC to Complete Baner-Pashan Link Road Within Six Months

Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Baner, 17th April 2025: In a significant development, the Bombay High Court has issued a strong directive to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the District Magistrate/Special Land Acquisition Officer to expedite the completion of the long-pending Baner-Pashan Link Road project.

In the final hearing of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No. 98 of 2021, held on 16 April 2025 before a bench headed by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice M. S. Karnik, the court directed that land acquisition must be completed within two months. The PMC has been ordered to finish construction of the road within four months from the date it takes possession of the land.

Court Slams PMC Over Delays
Advocate Satya Muley, appearing for the petitioner Baner Pashan Link Road Welfare Trust, argued that the PMC had shown a consistent lack of action over the past several years despite repeated directions from the High Court.

“The PMC has done nothing to complete the remaining stretch of the road, despite multiple court orders since 2021,” Muley told the court.
The court referred to its earlier order dated 10 July 2024, in which PMC was instructed to finish construction of the remaining 200-meter stretch “within the shortest possible time”—an order that remained unimplemented.

Public Funds Wasted, Citizens Suffer
The Baner-Pashan Link Road, sanctioned in the 1992 development plan, is 1,200 meters long and 36 meters wide. Of this, 1,000 meters were constructed in 2014, but two small patches—one of 150 meters and another of 50 meters—remain incomplete.

“This incomplete stretch has rendered the entire road unusable and led to a waste of public funds,” Muley said.

The High Court had earlier observed in its 2 August 2023 order, under a bench led by then Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya, that leaving 200 meters of the road unconstructed defeats the purpose of the ₹100 crore public expenditure and is not in public interest.

“It is a matter of concern how tenders were floated without securing land for the entire stretch. This reflects poor planning and disrespect for public resources,” the court noted.

30 Years of Neglect
The Baner-Pashan Link Road has remained incomplete for over three decades, despite being critical to traffic movement between Baner, Balewadi, Pashan, Aundh, and other western suburbs of Pune. Residents say the issue has affected over 2.5 lakh people in the area, causing severe daily inconvenience.

Residents Speak Out
Rajendra Chuttar, President of Baner Pashan Link Road Welfare Trust, expressed hope after the latest court order: “We are hopeful that PMC will finally abide by the court order and complete this crucial road. We have suffered for far too long due to PMC’s apathy.”

Ravindra Sinha, Secretary of the Trust, added: “When we demanded basic rights like roads and water, we were ridiculed. Citizens are forced to go to court because of bureaucratic failure.”

Pushkar Kulkarni, Convenor of Pashan Area Sabha, said the order has set a precedent: “There are several other Development Plan (DP) roads that remain incomplete due to pending land acquisition. We will now pursue those cases too.”

Advocate Muley’s Statement
Advocate Satya Muley, speaking after the verdict, said: “The PMC has been giving one excuse after another for nearly 10 years. This shows a serious lack of sensitivity towards public issues. With this final order, we expect the road will be completed by Diwali this year, easing traffic congestion and improving safety for pedestrians.”

Adv. Aniruddha Medhekar, who assisted Muley in the case, added:
“PMC’s inaction and misleading statements have been fully exposed during this litigation.”

The petition was filed by the Baner Pashan Link Road Welfare Trust in 2021 and had been pending despite multiple court directives. The latest order now puts the onus squarely on PMC and the State Government to deliver within strict timelines.