Construction of the Baner-Pashan Link Road in Pune is set to resume after the civic body began the long-pending land acquisition process for a 200-metre stretch. The project is considered important for easing traffic congestion in the city and improving connectivity between Baner, Pashan, Sutarwadi and surrounding areas.

Rajesh Bankar, who heads the Pune Municipal Corporation’s roads department, said the civic body had completed the required paperwork and disbursed total compensation of about Rs. 680 mn. The remaining construction will begin after the land acquisition process is completed, he said.

The 1.2-kilometre road was sanctioned in 1992, while construction started in 2014. However, acquisition for the 200-metre section of the 36-metre-wide road remained unresolved for 12 years, preventing completion of the project. The road is projected to benefit about 250,000 residents in the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The Baner-Pashan Link Road Welfare Trust approached the Bombay High Court in 2021, seeking directions for the project to be completed within a specified timeframe. In August 2023, the court directed the civic body to acquire the required land and submit a schedule for the acquisition and the remaining construction work.

The Pune Municipal Corporation was later criticised for failing to implement those directions. In April last year, the high court ordered it to acquire the land within two months and finish construction within four months of completing the acquisition. The latest compensation disbursement and paperwork are intended to clear the remaining obstacle before work restarts.