Pune: Funding Delay Hinders Widening of Katraj-Kondwa Road

Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is facing significant delays in widening the Katraj-Kondhwa Road due to a lack of funds from the state government. Despite plans to acquire land for the project, the PMC is still awaiting the sanction of Rs 140 crore. 

This financial crunch has halted progress and is causing inconvenience to commuters who continue to grapple with traffic congestion and safety hazards on the narrow road, especially during peak hours. 

While the PMC currently has possession of 1.6 lakh square meters of land, an additional 1.28 lakh square meters need to be acquired for the project to proceed. 

Although the state government has approved Rs 200 crore for the project, it falls short of the required Rs 360 crore needed to achieve the desired 84-meter width. The allocated funds are only sufficient for a 50-meter-wide road. Despite these challenges, the PMC has utilized Rs 48 crore from public funds for the road project, and approximately half of the road’s service lines have been laid out, indicating some progress. 

However, the funding gap remains a significant hurdle, and urgent action is needed to address it and expedite the project to alleviate the challenges faced by residents and commuters along the Katraj-Kondwa Road in Pune.