Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Katraj-Kondhwa road widening project affected persons (PAPs) have demanded cash compensation and asked the PMC to declare it as a special project, following a similar demand by Chandni Chowk multi-level flyover PAPs.
The road widening project’s cost is Rs 150 crore and has been planned to ease traffic on Katraj-Kondhwa road. The PAPs have formed Katraj-Kondhwa road action committee to pursue their demands.
The PMC Road Department started work on the project in October 2018. The PMC needs 33,200 square metres of land. Of this, the PMC has acquired 21,923 sq m of land so far. According to the Road Department, some people will have to vacate their residences and some will have to hand over open land to the PMC.
Special status
PAPs have formed the Katraj-Kondhwa Action Committee to tackle the compensation issue. According to Committee Chairman Ramesh Babar, there are 160 households and 56 shops affected by this project. Some people have 500 square feet to 1,500 square feet of land. The PMC has sent notices to them to vacate houses and land. Some people have constructed homes. The PMC has given a proposal to PAPs to give 250 square feet of flats in Maharashtra Housing Development Authority (MHDA) schemes. It is unfair, he said.
He added, “The PMC gave cash compensation to Chandni Chowk multi-level flyover project affected persons under the special project category. And here, they are denying cash compensation. Now, we are demanding cash compensation instead of FSI, TDR and flats.”
Survey to categorise PAPs
While speaking to Sakal Times, Additional City Engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar said, “We have acquired 76 per cent of land till date. Now, road widening affected people are demanding cash compensation. However, PMC is not able to give cash compensation to everyone.”
“Our department is surveying to identify people, who are going to lose their houses and land. After that, we will able to categorise people who want cash compensation or Floor Space Index or Transfer Development Rights as compensation,” he added.
As per civic officials, the State government gave funds to pay cash compensation to Chandni Chowk project affected persons. The PMC doesn’t have money to give cash compensation to everyone.
The project
it is a 3.5-km road stretch from Rajas Society, Khadi Machine Chowk to Pisoli village. The road will have a 13.5-metre wide carriageway, 7.5-metre wide service road, 5-metre wide angular parking, 3-metre wide cycle track, a utility corridor, footpath, 4.4-metre wide space for tree plantation, and stormwater drainage lines on both sides.
The road will also have two vehicular underpasses, one pedestrian underpass, three grade separators and a bridge on the nala.
