Pune: Land Acquisition for Katraj–Kondhwa Road To Be Completed In 15 Days; PMC Plans Major Overhaul In Urban Management
Pune: Land Acquisition for Katraj–Kondhwa Road To Be Completed In 15 Days; PMC Plans Major Overhaul In Urban Management
Pune, February 6, 2026: The land acquisition process for the long-pending Katraj–Kondhwa Road project will be completed within the next 15 days, paving the way for faster execution of the road expansion work. This was announced by Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram and District Collector Jitendra Dudi during a joint press conference in Pune.
The officials also confirmed that the Khadi Machine Chowk to Undri Road will be developed as per the Regional Development Plan. Budgetary provisions will be made in the upcoming municipal budget for at least one major road in each newly merged village, along with the completion of 12 missing road links across the city. They further clarified that no road digging will be permitted on roads recently developed for the Pune Grand Tour cycling event.
To bring significant improvements in cleanliness, traffic management, road infrastructure, and other daily civic services over the next year, the municipal administration has set up a dedicated “Transformation Office”. Conceived jointly by the Municipal Commissioner and the District Collector, the initiative aims to ensure coordinated functioning of all concerned departments. A review meeting involving officials from various departments was held at the Pune Municipal Corporation headquarters following the announcement.
Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said that after a gap of nine years, municipal elections have taken place, bringing in several new elected representatives and officers. He highlighted that during the Pune Grand Tour cycling event, coordinated efforts by the Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations, district administration, PWD, police, PMRDA, BSNL, and the electricity department led to the construction and improvement of nearly 450 km of high-quality roads in record time. This experience demonstrated that strong inter-departmental coordination can significantly transform urban infrastructure even with existing resources.
Looking ahead, the administration aims to upgrade civic services in Pune and surrounding areas over the next year. Monthly coordination meetings among departments will be held to address overlapping responsibilities. Plans include creating a standard operating procedure (SOP) for overhead cables within a month, removing unused electricity poles that obstruct road widening, and completing the removal of such poles within two months.
On land acquisition, the District Collector’s office will hand over possession of the required land for the Katraj–Kondhwa Road within 15 days. The Collector also noted that roads in 23 villages under the PMRDA fall within the Regional Plan, and the authority will be responsible for their development, debris clearance, and maintenance—marking one of the first large-scale collaborative efforts of this nature.
District Collector Jitendra Dudi addressed criticism regarding the cycling event, stating that improved roads enabled the event, not the other way around. He said the administration has set a target of upgrading 1,500 km of roads by 2026, with clearly defined timelines and accountability. The focus, he added, is on making Pune a globally competitive city with time-bound, high-quality services.
Addressing environmental concerns, officials said measures are being planned to curb rising pollution levels by regulating construction activity and restricting older vehicles on key roads. Sports and public events, they added, will be used as opportunities to strengthen infrastructure and civic discipline.
On encroachments, Commissioner Ram said strict action will be taken to facilitate road widening, including special enforcement drives. He noted that honest and efficient daily administration alone could resolve nearly half of the city’s civic issues. This year, the civic body aims to complete at least one major road project in every newly merged village and has made budgetary allocations to finish 12 critical missing road links across Pune.
