Pune: PMC Demolishes Khadki’s Jaihind Cinema Building for Highway Widening

Khadki, 25th May 2024: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is making significant progress towards a long-awaited milestone: the widening of the old Pune-Mumbai road in the Khadki area. After finalizing necessary route adjustments and completing land acquisition, the project, which has faced numerous delays, has gained momentum with the acquisition of the Jaihind cinema site.

On May 24th, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) secured a judgment against Jaihind Cinema and Cafe Punjab restaurant, located opposite Khadki railway station. Following the court’s decision, the Jaihind Cinema building was promptly demolished, allowing the old Mumbai-Pune highway widening project to proceed.

The widening initiative, expected to be completed within three months, had previously encountered challenges due to land acquisition hurdles. Despite the commencement of road expansion in the Khadki and Bopodi areas, progress was hindered by the unavailability of the Jaihind cinema site. Additionally, the construction of the metro line along this route exacerbated traffic congestion issues in Wakdewadi, Khadki, and Bopodi.

Following a favorable court ruling in favor of the PMC, approximately 2,526 square meters of land, including the Jaihind cinema site, now falls under the PMC’s jurisdiction. This decisive acquisition clears the path for uninterrupted progress in road widening.

The 800-meter stretch of this road between Bopodi Chowk and Kirloskar Company falls under the PMC’s jurisdiction, while the remaining two-kilometer stretch from Kirloskar Company to Harris Bridge is within the limits of the Kirkee Cantonment Board (KCB). The Jaihind cinema, located opposite Khadki railway station, was on a 99-year lease from the KCB.

However, Punjab Café Lodge posed a hurdle for the Metro and road widening projects on the old Pune-Mumbai highway. While the KCB provided land for the road, the responsibility of assessing the theater site fell on the PMC. Finally, the PMC evaluated the theater through the Public Works Department, deciding to provide compensation to the theater owners through Maha Metro for the building.

Aniruddha Pawaskar, chief of PMC’s road department, stated, “The widening of the remaining road will be completed within the next three months. Currently, there are only 25 meters of road for traffic, and this will be increased by an additional 15 meters.”