Pune ring road gets a Pawar push

The much-awaited 162-km ring road aimed at reducing congestion in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad has received a much needed push, with the tenders to be floated by July 27 and appointments for the alignment study likely to commence by September-October, revealed senior officials of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

The ring road is aimed at reducing traffic in the city by at least 40 per cent. The project was taken forward at a recent meeting chaired by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Pawar stated that the financial model of giving development rights will work out well in implementing the project.

Divisional commissioner Prabhakar Deshmukh said the project was the need of the hour to ease congestion. "A month ago, the deputy chief minister had held a meeting and the MSRDC is to carry out the necessary procedures. The feasibility study for the proposed project would be carried out by MSRDC,'' said Deshmukh.

The ring road was proposed in 2007. After several modifications in the implementation plan, it was decided to hand it over to private contractors, who would get TDR incentives. The road would also serve the local urban and rural population and there would be rules to not levy toll tax along this route, said MSRDC officials. Nearly 80 lakh people live along the route.

The model for the project — to cost nearly Rs 10,408 crore — looks at acquiring three times the required width of 100 metres and handing over development rights on the excess land to developers with adequate stakes for people giving up the land for the project. This process would help generate over 8 crore square feet (1,127.8 hectares) of FSI along the stretch. Sources said that Pawar said in the meeting that the ring road project should gain momentum and such projects in other cities where developers were given 4-5 FSI had worked out well.

... contd.

ALSO READ

Fiance who rescued kidnapped girl from Dhule brothel arrested

Charas, brown sugar use high in IT, corporate sector: ANC

Chris Gayle all game for dish in his name

LPG leak after tanker crash brings traffic to a halt on Expressway