Contractor’s groundbreaking ceremony for Outer Ring Road sparks controversy

A controversial ceremony for the Outer Ring Road project in Maharashtra was held by a contractor, but MSRDC claims it was only a machinery puja, not the official groundbreaking.

A groundbreaking ceremony held by the contractor responsible for construction of the eastern segment of Outer Ring Road – a key infrastructure project of the Mahayuti – has triggered a row, with the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) stating that this isn’t the official groundbreaking ceremony for the project but a traditional puja held for the machinery purchased by the said contractor with senior company officials in attendance. The contractor began work in the Wadebolai village near Kesnand on Monday. Over 100 machines have been deployed at the site to expedite construction.

The contractor began work in the Wadebolai village near Kesnand on Monday. (HT PHOTO)

Denying reports of a formal groundbreaking ceremony, MSRDC superintendent engineer, Rahul Vasaikar, said, “The foundation stone laying ceremony for the Ring Road Project has not taken place. The company that was awarded the work held a puja for the machinery.”

The development comes even as the new chief minister and deputy chief minister of the Mahayuti-led government are still to be sworn in.

Civic activist Sudhir Kulkarni said, “This is the government’s ambitious project for Pune district. How can the contractor perform bhumi pujan without consulting government officials? The bhumi pujan should have been held in the presence of the minister or guardian minister of Pune district. How can the contractor perform the bhumi pujan and share a video before the government is formed? This suggests that the contractor’s influence is stronger than that of the administration or ministers. It shows that there is no need for officials or ministers to run the government!”

The Ring Road Project, managed by the MSRDC, is divided into two segments—eastern and western. The eastern corridor spans 71.35 km and will be completed in four phases whereas the western corridor is 65.45 km long and will be built in five phases. The eastern section will pass through the Maval, Khed, Haveli, Purandar and Bhor talukas while the western section will pass through the Bhor, Haveli, Mulshi and Maval talukas. The Ring Road Project is large and involves construction of eight tunnels, three small bridges, two large bridges, and a 500-metre bridge on the backwaters of Khadakwasla Dam.

Meanwhile, the Outer Ring Road is targeted to be completed by May 2027, 30 months after the beginning of construction. It will help reduce traffic in the city by diverting heavy vehicles and improving connections to inter-district highways. It will pass through 83 villages. The state government took a ₹35,000 crore loan from HUDCO (Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd) for this project which was approved in 2015. The state government has allocated over ₹9,000 crore for land acquisition for this project. According to a senior MSRDC official, over 80% of the required land for the project has been acquired.