In light of growing public frustration over persistent traffic congestion in the Hinjewadi-Maan-Marunji region, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has directed the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) to expedite the land acquisition process. On Friday, PMRDA Commissioner Dr Yogesh Mhase, in a high-level review meeting held at Akurdi on Thursday, instructed MIDC to immediately submit a detailed proposal to the district collector’s office regarding the acquisition of land required for key road projects.

The meeting, attended by MLA Shankar Mandekar, farmers, and senior officials from various departments, focused on the long-standing infrastructural delays caused by stalled land acquisition for roads in Maan, Marunji, Mhalunge, and surrounding villages. Residents and commuters in the bustling IT and industrial corridor have been grappling with severe daily traffic jams, exacerbated by inadequate road width and rapid urban expansion.

Dr Mhase said, “The delays by MIDC in acquiring land, particularly for roads like the Maan Road, have resulted in significant travel difficulties. So PMRDA directed that a survey be conducted immediately by the SLR (Survey and Land Records department) to measure the land to be acquired and that a comprehensive report identifying affected farmers be submitted without delay."