Leaked Map Raises Storm: New Sambhajinagar–Pune Highway Map Goes Viral Before Release, Land Deals Surge
Leaked Map Raises Storm: New Sambhajinagar–Pune Highway Map Goes Viral Before Release, Land Deals Surge
Farmers remain unaware as investors rush to buy land along the proposed greenfield route.
A map of the proposed greenfield highway between Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Pune has gone viral on social media even before its official release, triggering an unexpected land rush, as per reports in Sakal.
The leak has set off a wave of large-scale land purchases by investors and builders, while most local farmers remain unaware that the upcoming expressway may cut directly through their fields.
Brokers in the region claim the interest has been unprecedented. Several builders from Pune and Mumbai are reportedly closing “two to three deals every day,” with land prices rising sharply to anywhere between ₹2.25 crore and ₹3.5 crore per acre in certain pockets. For many farmers, still unaware of the project’s alignment, these transactions are happening at rates far lower than what they would fetch after an official announcement.
The leaked map has raised a storm because it was supposedly accessible only to three departments, including the National Highways authority and MSRDC. The fact that it reached the open market has fuelled demands for a formal inquiry into how such a sensitive document was leaked, and who stood to benefit.
Officials explain that highway maps are prepared by an appointed agency, handed over to the concerned department, and then forwarded to the National Highways Department and MSRDC. Both agencies have reportedly confirmed the map in circulation resembles the one in their possession, deepening concerns about the breach.
The sudden spike in land deals has also sparked allegations of manipulation from buying land cheaply from uninformed farmers to potential misuse of confidential planning documents. Locals are now questioning whether the leak was deliberate and whether the profits from early acquisitions will bypass those who stand to lose the most.
With the map spreading widely before any official notification, pressure is mounting on authorities to clarify the proposed alignment and initiate an investigation into the leak. For now, the viral route map has turned the region into a real-estate hotspot, long before the highway itself becomes reality.
