Hinjewadi Road Widening Update: Ajit Pawar Accepts Villagers’ Demand, High Court Stops Work Till 21 August

Road Widening Issue in Hinjewadi: Latest Updates from Villagers, Government, and Court

The ongoing road widening plan in Hinjewadi and Hinjawadi has seen major developments in recent days. Local villagers, government authorities, and even the Bombay High Court have all been involved in this matter. The issue revolves around how much the roads inside the IT Park and surrounding villages should be widened, and whether the authorities have followed proper rules in the process.

This article explains what has happened so far, the villagers’ demands, the government’s decisions, and the court’s orders.

Villagers Oppose Road Widening Inside Gaothan Areas

Local gram panchayats in Hinjewadi raised concerns about the proposed road widening inside gaothan (village) areas. They were not against development but wanted the road width in these specific zones to be less than what was planned.

Villagers argued that wider roads in gaothan areas would require taking more land, affecting houses and shops. They requested the government to reduce the road width only in these areas while keeping the planned width for other parts of the IT Park.

Ajit Pawar Meets Villagers and Accepts Demand

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar recently visited Hinjewadi after inspecting the Chakan industrial area. He held a review meeting at the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) headquarters.

During the meeting, representatives from Hinjewadi and Maan gram panchayats explained their concerns. They told Pawar that the gram sabhas had already passed resolutions to keep road widths smaller in gaothan areas. After listening to them, Pawar agreed to their demand.

Key Points from Ajit Pawar’s Meeting:

Point	Detail
Villagers’ Demand	Reduce road width in gaothan areas of Hinjewadi and Maan
Pawar’s Decision	Accepted the demand
Instruction to PMRDA	Implement changes and proceed accordingly
Impact	Dispute over road widening in IT Park area resolved

Pawar also mentioned that the IT Park and industrial zones face traffic congestion due to bad roads and encroachments. He directed authorities to remove encroachments and widen narrow roads wherever possible, except in gaothan areas where villagers’ demands would be respected.

Other Issues Raised by Pawar

Apart from the gaothan road width matter, Ajit Pawar discussed other infrastructure issues in Hinjewadi and nearby areas:

• Encroachments: Pawar said that once encroachments are removed, the land should be developed immediately into proper roads. If not, people may re-encroach the space.
• Truck Terminal in Chakan: Due to heavy traffic from large trucks, he suggested setting up a truck terminal with fixed operating hours to ease congestion.
• Coordination Between Departments: He instructed the police, transport department, and local bodies to work together for better traffic management.
• Waste Management: The issue of garbage disposal in the industrial area also came up, and Pawar asked for urgent solutions.

PMRDA’s Role and Statement

Dr. Yogesh Mhase, Commissioner of PMRDA, confirmed that changes will be made in the development plan to reflect the reduced road width in gaothan areas. However, outside these areas, road widths will remain as per the original plan.

This means that most of the IT Park roads will still be widened as planned, but the historic village zones will get some relief.

Reaction from Local Leaders

Ganesh Jambhulkar, Sarpanch of Hinjewadi, expressed gratitude towards Ajit Pawar on behalf of the villagers. He said that the government’s decision would protect homes and shops from demolition in the gaothan zones.

Bombay High Court Stays Road Widening Work

Just as the local road widening dispute was getting resolved at the government level, another twist came from the legal side.

On 9th August 2025, the Bombay High Court issued a stay order on the road widening process in Hinjawadi and Wakad. This stay will remain in effect until 21st August.

Why Did the Court Step In?

The court noted that PMRDA had not given prior notice to the affected landowners before starting the widening process. One such landowner, Vilas Sakhare, filed a petition saying that the authorities were taking action without proper legal procedure.

Court’s Observations:

Issue	Court’s View
Lack of Notice	PMRDA did not notify landowners before taking action
Legal Procedure	Authorities failed to follow required rules
Possible Loss	Petitioners could suffer major property loss
Order	Stay on widening work till 21st August, submit documents and affidavits

The division bench of Justice Revati Mohite Dere and Justice Neela Gokhale heard the matter. They ordered PMRDA and other departments to submit all related documents and a sworn statement before the next hearing.

Villagers’ Concerns in Legal Petition

In the petition, it was stated that:

• No prior survey or chance to object was given to landowners.
• The action violated natural justice and constitutional rights under Articles 14, 19, and 300A.
• The widening from 30 meters to 36 meters would cause significant damage to their properties.

The court found these concerns serious enough to temporarily stop the work.

Current Situation in Hinjewadi

At present, the Hinjewadi road widening project is facing two parallel situations:

1. Government Agreement with Villagers: Inside gaothan areas, the government has agreed to reduce the road width.
2. Court Stay Order: The High Court has stopped all widening work in Wakad and Hinjewadi till 21st August due to legal procedure concerns.

This means no construction or demolition related to widening can happen until the court gives further orders.

Possible Next Steps

• PMRDA Action Plan: PMRDA will have to submit documents to the High Court explaining their process and legal compliance.
• Development Plan Changes: The reduced road widths in gaothan areas will be officially included in the development plan.
• Hearing on 21st August: The court will decide whether the stay should continue or be lifted.
• Encroachment Removal: Authorities will still try to clear illegal encroachments in other areas once the stay is over.

Why Road Widening Matters in Hinjewadi

Hinjewadi is home to the Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, one of India’s biggest IT hubs. Thousands of people work here, and the traffic flow is a major issue. Narrow roads, encroachments, and poor infrastructure cause long traffic jams daily.

Widening the roads could help:

• Improve traffic movement
• Reduce travel time for employees and residents
• Support further growth of IT companies
• Enhance safety for vehicles and pedestrians

However, for villagers living in gaothan areas, road widening can mean losing parts of their land, homes, or businesses. That’s why a balanced approach is needed.

Hinjewadi Road Widening Issue

Date	Event	Outcome
Early August 2025	Villagers meet Ajit Pawar	Demand to reduce road width in gaothan areas accepted
9 Aug 2025	Bombay High Court issues stay	No widening work till 21 Aug
21 Aug 2025 (upcoming)	Next court hearing	Decision on whether work can continue

FAQs About the Hinjewadi Road Widening Dispute

Q1: What is the main issue in the Hinjewadi road widening project?
The main issue is whether the road width in gaothan areas should be reduced to protect local properties and whether PMRDA followed proper legal steps before starting work.

Q2: Who agreed to reduce the road width in gaothan areas?
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar accepted the villagers’ demand to keep roads narrower in gaothan zones.

Q3: Why did the Bombay High Court stop the work?
The court found that PMRDA did not notify landowners or follow legal procedures before starting widening work.

Q4: How long will the stay order last?
The stay is in effect until 21st August 2025, when the court will hear the case again.

Q5: Will road widening still happen in other parts of Hinjewadi?
Yes, outside gaothan areas, the plan is to widen roads as per the original development plan, but only after legal issues are resolved.

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