Hinjewadi villagers take on Ajit Pawar over road widening; warn of legal action and protests

Over the past month, Pawar has conducted two review visits to the area, instructing officials to expedite development in line with the state government’s push to improve connectivity and reduce traffic congestion in the IT hub

Tensions are rising in Hinjewadi as local villagers push back against deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar over a proposed road-widening project. Residents claim they are being excluded from critical decisions and have warned of legal action and public protests if their concerns continue to be overlooked. Over the past month, Pawar has conducted two review visits to the area, instructing officials to expedite development in line with the state government’s push to improve connectivity and reduce traffic congestion in the IT hub. During these visits, he ordered changes to road designs and other infrastructure upgrades.

During these visits, he ordered changes to road designs and other infrastructure upgrades. (HT)

However, the local gram panchayat and residents allege they were not consulted, even though the projects directly affect homes, public spaces, and community infrastructure.

“The minister is not taking villagers into confidence,” said Hinjewadi sarpanch Ganesh Jambhulkar during a gram sabha meeting on Sunday. “If he fails to find a suitable solution, we’ll have no choice but to seek legal recourse.”

The current point of contention is the proposed widening of the road connecting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk to Dange Chowk and Wakad. The existing road, which cuts through the heart of Hinjewadi village, is slated for expansion to 30 metres. Villagers have demanded it be limited to 24 metres to protect essential community spaces.

The route includes heritage and public structures such as temples, a school, a cremation ground, a dashvidhi (ritual) ghat, the gram panchayat office, and homes over 50 years old. Villagers argue that expanding the road to 30 metres would lead to widespread displacement and destruction.

“This is not just infrastructure, it’s our history and our daily life,” Jambhulkar said.

He added that villagers had approached Pawar and that he is expected to meet them in the coming days to discuss their objections.

Despite strict orders from Pawar, who also serves as Pune’s Guardian Minister, to take action against those resisting land acquisition, PMRDA officials faced strong opposition last Tuesday in nearby Maan village. When PMRDA teams arrived to demarcate land for the project, residents confronted them. Police intervened and briefly detained a few villagers, triggering tension in the area.

This is not the first time Hinjewadi locals have resisted development plans. In recent years, they have raised concerns over rapid urbanisation, forced land acquisition, and inadequate rehabilitation. While Hinjewadi has grown into a major IT hub, local communities say they are being sidelined in key planning decisions, which they allege are largely driven by developers and bureaucrats.

Past protests have flared over projects that disrupted access to temples and water sources. Villagers have consistently called for transparency and greater participation in the planning process.

At Sunday’s gram sabha, residents passed a resolution warning that they would take the matter to court if their concerns were not addressed. “We will also protest during visits by government leaders, if needed,” said a local activist.

Villagers now plan to formally request a meeting with Pawar to present their objections and propose alternative solutions.