Pune: PMC Revises Katraj-Kondhwa Road Widening Plan, Increases Project Cost To Rs 1,100 Crore

Pune, 26th December 2024: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) began the work of widening the Katraj-Kondhwa road in 2017. Initially, the road was to be widened to 84 meters, with an estimated cost of Rs 715 crore for land acquisition. However, since PMC did not have the necessary funds, it decided in 2023 to reduce the widening to 50 meters, bringing the cost down to Rs 400 crore.

Now, within a year and a half, it has been decided to revert to widening the road to 84 meters. As a result, PMC will need to allocate a significant Rs 1,100 crore for the entire widening. The PMC administration has submitted a proposal for this change to the standing committee, and the proposal includes cancelling all previous resolutions for the 50-meter widening.

Had the road been widened to 84 meters initially, the cost would have been Rs 715 crore. However, due to the changes, the cost has increased by Rs 400 crore, which PMC will need to bear. Previously, the government had provided Rs 139 crore for the same project. Now, PMC will request an additional Rs 400 crore from the government.

The foundation stone for the widening of the Katraj-Kondhwa road, aimed at improving traffic in the southern part of the city, was laid on 31st October 2018. A tender was issued for widening the approximately three-and-a-half-kilometer stretch from Rajas Society in Katraj to Khadi Machine Chowk in Kondhwa. However, the project has been stalled for the last six years due to land acquisition issues. After PMC began work on the road, it was declared a national highway. Since PMC is unable to complete the widening, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has expressed willingness to take over the development.

To widen this three-and-a-half-kilometer road by 84 meters, PMC requires a total of 2,94,000 square meters of land. So far, only 18,250 square meters of land have been acquired by the Property Department through a compromise, which amounts to just 6% of the required land. The remaining 2,75,500 square meters must be acquired, and under the Land Acquisition Act of 2013, the landowners must be compensated in cash, amounting to Rs 1,100 crore.