Pune Municipal Corporation Faces Hurdles in Land Acquisition for Katraj-Kondhwa Road Widening Project

Pune, 30th May 2023: The ambitious plan to widen the Katraj-Kondhwa road has hit a roadblock as land acquisition remains pending. Pune Municipal Commissioner Vikram Kumar provided an update on the situation, stating that possession of the required land will be taken before October, enabling immediate commencement of the project.

However, a significant obstacle arises from the non-deposit of the approved Rs 200 crore by the Maharashtra state government into the municipal corporation’s treasury, raising concerns about the feasibility of land acquisition.

Presently, the Katraj-Kondhwa road stretches 32 meters, which is deemed inadequate to meet the growing demands. Consequently, the municipal corporation made the decision to widen it to 84 meters. However, due to delays in land acquisition, only 28 percent of the work has been completed over the past five years. Landowners whose properties lie along the road have insisted on receiving cash compensation from the Municipal Corporation, refusing alternative compensation in the form of Transferable Development Rights (TDR) or Floor Space Index (FSI).

For this project, the PMC requires 2,88,000 square meters of land, with the acquisition of 1,28,000 square meters still pending. Consequently, the project has come to a standstill. To address the issue, the Municipal Corporation has decided to develop a 50-meter road instead of the initially planned 84 meters, offering cash compensation to the affected landowners. A total of Rs 280 crore is required for land acquisition, out of which the state government has approved Rs 200 crore. However, as of now, this allocated fund has not been transferred to the Municipal Corporation’s coffers, prompting concerns about the feasibility of the land acquisition process.

The Land Acquisition Department of the Municipal Corporation has compiled a list of plots owned by affected landowners that fall within the widening area. Compensation will be provided to them following government regulations.

“An allocation of Rs 200 crore has been approved for the land acquisition of the Katraj-Kondhwa road, and the funds will be made available soon. The list of affected landowners has been prepared, and once the funds are received, the land acquisition process will be completed by October. Subsequently, the road widening project will commence, and we aim to complete it in the coming months,” stated Vikram Kumar, Commissioner of the Pune Municipal Corporation.