Baner-Pashan Link Road: High Court Directs PMC to Complete the Road Within Six Months
In a decisive move, the Bombay High Court has ordered the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) to acquire the remaining land for the long-pending Baner-Pashan Link Road within two months and complete its construction within four months thereafter. The directive comes after years of delays, leaving residents frustrated over the civic body’s inaction.
The bench, led by Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice MS Karnik, heard a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by the Baner-Pashan Link Road Welfare Trust. Advocate Satya Muley, representing the trust, argued that despite multiple court orders since 2021, the PMC had failed to finish the crucial 200-meter stretch of the 1,200-meter road, originally approved in the 1992 Development Plan.
A Road Stuck in Delays
While 1,000 meters of the 36-meter-wide road were constructed in 2014, two key patches—150 meters and 50 meters—remain incomplete, rendering the entire route nearly useless. The court noted that leaving such a vital link incomplete was against public interest, especially since the delay has wasted taxpayer money and caused immense inconvenience to over 2.5 lakh residents in Baner, Pashan, Balewadi, and Aundh.
Rajendra Chuttar, president of the welfare trust, expressed relief at the court’s intervention but also frustration over PMC’s repeated failures. “We have suffered due to the PMC’s apathy for years. Basic infrastructure like roads should not require legal battles to be completed,” he said.
PMC’s Last Chance
The court reminded the PMC of its previous July 2023 order, where it had warned that incomplete infrastructure defeats the purpose of public spending. With this fresh deadline, residents hope the civic body will finally act. If completed, the Baner-Pashan Link Road will significantly ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity in Pune’s fast-growing western suburbs.
