The Pune Municipal Corporation has cancelled the tender for a 60-metre-wide road, flyover and grade separator between Chandni Chowk and Bhugaon after the quoted project cost exceeded the approved preliminary estimate and several preparatory works were found to be incomplete. The corridor was planned to cover around two kilometres and was intended to improve connectivity and ease traffic movement on a key western Pune route. The civic body decided that the tender process cannot proceed until technical and cost issues are resolved.

Officials identified multiple lapses in the tender preparation, noting the absence of assessments of privately owned land and forest land, incomplete soil testing, missing bore-log records and inadequate detailed soil investigation. A seven-day, 24-hour traffic survey had not been carried out and a feasibility report prepared by an independent accredited agency was not available. These gaps in groundwork led the administration to conclude that the tender documentation did not meet required technical standards.

The process attracted public scrutiny after a corporator urged the commissioner to cancel and review the tender, and allegations emerged that certain conditions may have favoured a particular contractor. The tender estimate itself became a point of contention when the corporator claimed the quoted amount was about Rs 450 million (mn) higher than the estimate prepared by the primary estimate committee; municipal officials countered that the actual difference was closer to Rs 15 million (mn). The administration said it required a clear, documented basis for the cost figures before relaunching the procurement.

As a result of the cancellation, the civic administration will undertake fresh technical assessments and revise cost estimates before reissuing the tender. The PMC will need to complete land and environmental assessments, detailed soil investigations and the traffic survey, and obtain an independent feasibility study to ensure transparency and technical robustness. Only after these steps are completed will the project move to the next stage of procurement and implementation.