Pune: Civic body receives proposals to hand over land for Katraj-Kondhwa Road widening work

Pune: Hurdles in widening of Katraj-Kondhwa Road are getting removed gradually. The widening of the major thoroughfare has been delayed due to many reasons, including land acquisition. The completion of work will provide a big relief for local residents and commuters from traffic congestion.

The issue was raised in the State Legislative Assembly as well as in the Lok Sabha. The road is being widened to solve major traffic issues. The civic administration is trying to expedite the widening. Seven land owners have submitted their proposals to hand over land for the road widening to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), which are being examined so that land acquisition could be started immediately.

A flyover is being built on this road at Katraj Chowk. The civic body has given priority to acquire land urgently for a stretch of 280-m of the road. Union Minister Nitin Gadkari promised to extend all necessary help if the civic body completed the land acquisition for the flyover. Municipal Commissioner Dr Rajendra Bhosale recently met Gadkari in connection with the road-widening work. Gadkari promised to help the civic body.

The PMC planned to take possession of land immediately after the land owners expressed their readiness to hand over their land. The road widening was approved on October 31, 2018. But the work delayed due to hurdles in land acquisition. The stretch of road from Rajas Society to Khadi Machine Chowk is underway for the past one year.

A grade separator and road-widening are underway on the stretch. Seven land owners are ready to hand over their land to the PMC, for which they have submitted their proposals to the PMC. The civic body has started a one-window scheme for a smooth acquisition of land, said civic officials.