Pune: Hinjawadi Residents Oppose 36-Metre Road Widening, Cite Threat to Homes, Temples and Schools
Hinjawadi, 2nd August 2025: Residents of Hinjawadi have raised strong objections to the proposed plan of widening roads to 36 metres in their village, including areas within the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, citing concerns over displacement, damage to local structures, and lack of prior compensation.
In a gram sabha held on Friday, villagers unanimously passed a resolution opposing the road expansion project, demanding that the road width be limited to between 18 and 24 metres instead of the proposed 30 to 36 metres.
“The current proposal would destroy homes, temples, educational institutions, and even our gram panchayat office,” said Hinjawadi sarpanch Ganesh Jambhulkar. “We have conveyed our opposition in writing and have asked authorities to reconsider the plan. The resolution reflects the collective voice of the people.”
Residents expressed fears that the expansion in the gaothan (core village) area would severely impact families who have lived there for generations. Many elderly villagers and long-time residents would be forced to vacate ancestral properties if the plan goes ahead.
“We are planning to meet Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar soon to raise our concerns directly. If our appeals go unheard, we will be left with no choice but to explore legal remedies,” said one of the residents who participated in the gram sabha.
The villagers also highlighted an unresolved issue related to pending compensation. Many farmers who previously agreed to land acquisition for earlier development projects say they are still waiting for full payment from the authorities.
Similar sentiments are being echoed in the neighbouring Maan village, which also falls within the IT Park zone. Maan’s gram panchayat has scheduled a separate gram sabha for Tuesday to discuss their strategy.
“Our residents are equally disturbed by this proposal. Important public spaces, including temples and homes, are at risk. We will decide our course of action in the upcoming gram sabha,” said Maan sarpanch Archana Sachin Adhav.
The controversy gained traction online after a recent video surfaced on social media showing a heated exchange between sarpanch Jambhulkar and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. In the video, Jambhulkar can be seen urging Pawar to limit the road widening to a reasonable extent. Pawar, however, responded by expressing dissatisfaction with the area’s infrastructure, noting that inadequate road connectivity is one of the reasons several IT firms have chosen to move operations out of Pune.
