Battle for PMC: The mystery of Pune’s ‘missing links’

PUNE: Chancing upon an incomplete, ‘kachcha' dirt road amid an otherwise smooth concrete stretch in a prime city area may just mean you've stumbled upon a ‘missing link'.

Today, areas falling under Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits host 678 such missing links spanning across 459km, all mired in different stages of completion.

By definition, this piece of land literally breaks the ‘link' from the rest of a relatively well-maintained road. So, it causes vehicles to slow down or manoeuvre around it to avoid damage, turning into a major reason for traffic jams and longer travel times.


Usually, these pieces of land are privately owned — while the civic body can buy them, acquisition routinely gets stuck over mode of compensation.

To ease traffic congestion, PMC has at present prepared a list of 33 missing link projects to be taken up on a priority basis. These are further divided into A, B and C categories to prioritise and fast-track how they are tackled.

Why does Pune have so many missing links?

Land acquisition is not an easy task, explained PMC's urban transport planner and designer Nikhil Mijar. "There are a lot of hurdles to jump over, processes to follow and back and forth between landowners and the civic body. The handover can be delayed for years. The roads we are prioritising now were chosen to ensure that traffic issues on major routes are resolved. Once these missing links are completed, they will be able to cater to a great deal of vehicle movement and ease the burden on arterial or internal roads nearby," Mijar told TOI.

Most of these roads if completed will help ease traffic for several commuters, across many key stretches. For example, if the missing link near Kaspate Vasti in Wakad is fixed, the main flyover will witness a lot less congestion. At present, the missing link prevents entry for residents of Balewadi, Baner and Mhalunge going towards Hinjewadi and vice-versa. It will cut travel time in half for many IT professionals.

The PMC official also elaborated on multiple reasons why land acquisition for many roads has been stuck —from govt document lacunae to parties not agreeing on mode of compensation, and even tax payment hurdles.

Mijar said, "Several cases need a curated approach, which significantly delays the process. It increases time, energy and resources spent on each acquisition."

Mode of compensation hurdle: TDR vs money

Most of the land PMC is looking to acquire is privately owned, and landowners want monetary compensation. Often faced with fund shortages, PMC on the other hand is willing to offer transferable development rights (TDR) in return for the land. This TDR allows landowners to receive development rights in exchange for surrendering their land for public projects such as roads, parks, and civic amenities. Landowners can sell this TDR further to developers. However, with landowners wanting money and PMC offering only TDR, negotiations tend to enter a never-ending loop.

Tax loopholes sought, but legalities complicated

When PMC strikes a deal with a landowner, as is any other trade, it is subject to tax, to be borne by the property owner. However, if the civic body was to acquire the same piece of land forcefully, the landowner would not be liable to pay tax.

Naturally, many landowners want the civic body to "forcefully" acquire the land and avoid paying tax by simply agreeing to hand it over.

However, the issue is that for PMC to carry out a compulsory or forceful acquisition they need to follow due process and approach the court. It is only possible to forcefully acquire land when the court orders the same.

"When we approach the court, the expectation is that we have tried all other means possible to acquire that piece of land. This includes multiple negotiation attempts among other things. Without showing proof of this, the court will not give an order for forceful acquisition. Once again, the process takes a long time," said Mijar.
Inconsistencies in data available with authorities

In many cases, explained Mijar, documents present with a landowner and those with PMC do not match, with reference to the size of the property owned by the individual. Since the documents by both parties are govt-approved or sanctioned, negotiating an agreeable amount then becomes an added challenge.

Departments don't always move hand in hand

Some missing links have encroachments on them, many in the form of slums. In such a scenario, the slum rehabilitation authority (SRA) has to rehome the slumdwellers before PMC can take over the land. The SRA is willing to rehome the dwellers, but this is often to areas that are away from their current locality. In such scenarios, resistance is faced, as many slum dwellers work in nearby surroundings and refuse to be homed many km away. As a result, land acquisition remains halted.

Once burnt, twice shy: Previous deals gone wrong

In some deals, PMC faces resistance from landowners, who have previously given their land to the civic body but failed to receive compensation. "Since they have had a bad experience before, some landowners are unwilling to strike a deal, till their previous compensation is not cleared," Mijar said.

Official Speak

Land acquisition has proved to be a hurdle in the completion of missing links. While some deals are stuck because of TDR versus cash compensation, many have been acquired but work has yet to begin. Missing links projects are not suffering because of lack of money with us. We have taken up the issue on priority and are working to complete all of them as fast as possible

— Naval Kishore Ram | PMC commissioner

Expert Says

It sets a very bad precedent that PMC has not followed guidelines laid out by high court when it comes to completion of missing links on Baner Pashan Link Road, Kharadi-Shivane Road and the Balewadi-Wakad stretch. It is making residents lose faith in the judicial system. Completion of the missing links is crucial as their existence adds to the stress faced by commuters; it is also causing accidents because of poor roads in some cases. It is almost as if PMC does not want to do anything until citizens are forced to move court. In the absence of corporators, this has become a common practice for residents to raise their woes. More people need to come forth and take the civic body to task when their basic necessities are not met. They have the right to do so

— Satya Muley | Advocate

Commuters continue to suffer

Completion of all DP roads is also state govt's responsibility. PMC keeps saying it doesn't have the required money for land acquisition. That's why we've been demanding that elected representatives ask state govt to give PMC a zero-interest loan, repayable over 25 years. This would allow PMC to acquire the land and complete over 300 key link roads within a year. Unfortunately, there's little political will or urgency from govt to make this happen

— Ravindra Sinha | Convenor, Baner Pashan Link Road Area Sabha

I have been writing to PMC for the last six years for completion of the Shivane-Kharadi Link via Gunjan Chowk. It will halve traffic flow on Nagar Road. However, there has been no response. During this interim, ready reckoner rates have already increased dramatically for land acquisition. PMC lacks accountability when it comes to the use of taxpayers' money for projects required by the public. The civic body and collector have to take the lead and see this project through, using forced acquisition. We need more accountability when it comes to use of exchequer for projects of public interest

— Qaneez Sukhrani | Convenor, Vimannagar Residents Forum

The Balewadi-Wakad bridge has been built but remains incomplete on one end. This forces people travelling towards Hinjewadi or Baner to use internal roads or the main highway. This causes severe congestion, especially during peak hours. By completing the end of the bridge, which is just a small patch, a lot of IT professionals working in Baner IT Park and staying in Pimple Saudagar will also benefit. Travel time will be significantly reduced. It is a crucial missing link that needs immediate attention

— Pavanjeet Mane | President, Forum For IT Employees (Maharashtra)

Missing links that don't cut through hills or forests must be completed immediately by local bodies and state govt before sanctioning any residential/commercial constructions in that area. Instead of spending on vanity projects like Metro, authorities need to immediately complete land acquisition required for completion of missing links and strengthening of PMPML fleet, PMPML lands and infrastructure. Due to PMC apathy in initiating and completing land acquisition of a land parcel in Pashan's Sutarwadi bearing PMPML reservation, the land was de-reserved this year. This plot is adjacent to the Mumbai-Bengaluru highway and would have served PMPML and city residents for decades to come

— Pushkar Kulkarni | Pashan resident