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Katraj-Kondhwa road project faces land acquisition issues
PMC official says 30 per land for the road plan is yet to be acquired.
The Katraj-Kondhwa road project is facing delays due to the resistance from residents of Sundarban and few other societies to not give up land.
According to Vijay Kulkarni, chief engineer, road department Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), a portion of the land is still to be acquired.
“70 per cent land is acquired while 30 per cent is still remaining. It will be completed soon. The pandemic was also one of the reasons for the delay,” Kulkarni said.
The 3.5 kms Katraj-Kondhwa road is to be constructed between Rajas society chowk and Khadi machine chowk by the civic body to address traffic congestion in the area.
The PMC has planned three grade separators and two vehicle underpasses on the stretch. The project cost is ₹225 crore.
The stone laying ceremony of the project was held on November 2, 2018 in the presence of Devendra Fadnavis, former Maharashtra chief minister, but the project has hit a snail’s pace since then.
“The work from Kondhwa is going at a good speed while we are facing hurdles in Katraj from societies like Sundarban and a few more. Where the land has been acquired, the work has started,” said Rajabhau Kadam, husband of corporator Manisha Kadam.
From the beginning, the Katraj-Kondhwa road project has faced many hurdles as the PMC scrapped the tendering process four times because it felt the bids received were inflated.
“The residents are asking for land in place of land, or too much cash for land. The PMC is ready to provide them flats but they are not ready to budge,” said Kadam.
“We have no idea whether this road will be broadened or not. It is not only my shop but many shops which fall under the same lane, I don’t think the project will continue,” said the owner of Balaji Grocery shop.
A group of youngsters were spotted playing cricket on the concrete slab laid for road work on the Katraj-Kondhwa stretch.
“We have been playing cricket here since the last two months and work is going on at a very slow speed ahead in the same lane,” said Sudhakar Shinde, who was playing cricket with his friends.
