Maha’s first ‘free of cost’ road to come up in Besa; authorities offer TDR instead of cash

Nagpur: Touted as Maharashtra's first ‘free-of-cost' road project, a major Development Plan (DP) road in Besa is drawing both curiosity and concern. The Rs25-crore project, being executed under the Transferable Development Rights (TDR) model, is coming up under the jurisdiction of the Besa–Pipla Nagar Panchayat. While authorities claim the government is not spending directly on construction, residents are questioning the execution pattern, with 3 contractors reportedly handling different stretches of the same road.
Under the TDR mechanism, developers construct public infrastructure in exchange for development rights elsewhere, reducing immediate financial burden on the civic body. Speaking to TOI, chief executive officer Bharat Nandanwar claimed that the Besa DP road as Maharashtra's first such large-scale road project undertaken entirely through TDR. "This is a landmark initiative. The road is being developed as per approved estimates, and the government is not spending funds on it," he said. The road, approximately 2km in length, starts from the Besa Square-Manish Nagar Road and goes all the way up to Shankarpur. It currently takes around 25 minutes to reach Shankarpur from Manish Nagar due to heavy traffic. However, a visit to the site revealed work progressing in fragmented patches, with the separate entities working simultaneously on different segments. The lack of continuity has sparked scepticism among residents in the rapidly growing Besa-Beltarodi belt, where traffic congestion has become a pressing issue due to mushrooming housing projects and rising vehicular movement.Locals argue that while the "free-of-cost" tag may sound attractive, quality and coordination should not be compromised. Questions have also been raised about variation in construction specifications, particularly road thickness across stretches.Mukesh Kale, newly appointed PWD chairperson of the Besa-Pipla Nagar Panchayat, acknowledged the concerns. "I am also surprised at why multiple contractors are working on one road. At one point, the thickness of the road is 8 inches, while on another stretch it is 10 inches. It should uniformly be 8 or 10 inches. Such inconsistency raises doubts," he said. Kale has called for a review meeting with contractors and engineers on Saturday to examine the execution process and ensure compliance with standards.Civic officials clarified that the thickness variation stems from different estimates approved at separate stages. The initial sanction provided for an 8-inch concrete layer, while a later revised estimate increased it to 10 inches. "The first tender was awarded as per the earlier specification. Subsequent stretches follow the updated estimate. All work is being done as per technical approvals," the official maintained.The DP road, which includes two bridges over a nullah, is expected to significantly decongest internal roads once completed. Authorities said bridge slab work is pending, and the entire stretch will be ready within six months.