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Pune-Satara road project: Reliance Infra seeks another extension as villagers now want underpass width to be increased
Residents from Kikav and Khed-Shivapur are demanding that the width of an underpass on the stretch be increased from the proposed 12 metres to 30 metres, leading to the latest delay.
Pune Nine years gone and the 140-km stretch of the Pune-Satara highway is still incomplete, with contractor, Reliance Infra, seeking yet another extension till June 30, with the existing deadline ending on March 31.
The National highway authority of India (NHAI) has urged the district collector of Pune to now intervene and ensure the project is completed.
Residents from Kikav and Khed-Shivapur are demanding that the width of an underpass on the stretch be increased from the proposed 12 metres to 30 metres, leading to the latest delay.
“Of 140 km we have completed 132 km. The 30-metre width of the underpass extension is not in our project plan. Hence, the project is delayed,” Suhas Chitnis, project director, NHAI, said.
Chitnis added, “To solve this logjam, we have approached the district collector of Pune and requested him to intervene in the matter by talking to the locals.”
Vivek Velankar, a right to information (RTI) activist who has been pursuing the issue said, “Why can’t a contractor continue his work as per the plan under police protection? Minister Gadkari claims his ministry is constructing the road at the speed of 30km per day. Why then has this 140-km road expansion project taken nine years?”
Despite repeated attempts, BK Singh, project manager, Reliance Infra, was not reachable for comment.
The widening (six-lane) of the 140-km stretch of the Pune-Satara highway was commissioned in 2008 and began on October 1, 2010.
This road widening work was initially supposed to be completed by March 31, 2013.Then after four deadline extensions, it was supposed to be completed by March 31, 2019.
A year ago, at the foundation-stone laying ceremony of the Chandani chowk flyover in Pune, transport minister Nitin Gadkari had called Reliance Infra “a black spot on NHAI” and demanded that the firm be blacklisted. A year later, Reliance Infra is ready for another deadline extension.
