Mumbai: Facing the ire of companies over potholed roads and traffic snarls in Pune's Chakan industrial belt, the Maharashtra government has admitted serious infrastructure gaps and set up a high‑level panel to resolve them.
With the Opposition targeting the government over the issue, the ruling dispensation has moved swiftly to contain the situation.
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Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis admitted on Friday that there were serious infrastructure issues in the industrial area and promised relief. The government subsequently formed a high-level panel to resolve the problems troubling the companies.
Industries Minister Uday Samant visited the area on Sunday and met senior officials and representatives of industrial associations. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde joined the discussions via video-conferencing.
The state government drew flak after the owners of at least 20 companies recently said they had decided to shift their factories to Khandala in Pune district due to severe traffic congestion and inadequate infrastructure in the Chakan Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC).
Shinde on Sunday directed the administration to prioritise filling potholes to ease traffic congestion in the area, an official release said. Considering the difficulties involved in repairing roads during the monsoon, modern technologies such as pre-cast systems and geo-polymer techno-patch should be used, he said.
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Shinde announced that the MIDC would make land available for a solid waste management project, a police station, a fire station and an electrical substation, and that the development plan for Chakan city would be approved at the earliest.
He directed that various departments work together under the chairmanship of the district collector and immediately implement an action plan for developing infrastructure in the area.
The deputy CM instructed officials to "implement short, medium and long-term measures to resolve the traffic congestion faced by industries in Chakan, the release said.
To address the difficulties faced by industries and locals in the Chakan-Talegaon area, the Pune collector will act as the nodal officer, Shinde said, adding that action should be taken against contractors who deliberately delay or fail to complete works on time.
Mahatransco, a state-owned electricity transmission company, has planned to install a new transformer by August 31 to address electricity-related issues. The MIDC will provide land for a new electrical substation, he said.
He expressed confidence that the proposed Dedicated Freight Corridor connecting Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Ranjangaon and Chakan MIDC, along with the new highway connecting Uran, Karjat, Rajgurunagar, Shirur and Pune, would boost industrial development in the Chakan area and help ease traffic congestion.
After the meeting, Samant said, "Authorities have also initiated immediate work to repair potholes, strengthen road shoulders, clear garbage and streamline parking management across the industrial belt."
To ensure coordinated action, a high-level committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the district collector, he told reporters.
Work on portions of the previously approved 27 km concrete road project has already been completed, he said. "Approval will be granted on priority for an additional 17 to 18 km of road works, based on the needs identified by industrial associations and local residents," he added.
According to a Government Resolution (GR) issued on August 14, the government has formed a high-level committee to address road repairs, traffic congestion and management issues in the rapidly expanding industrial belt, and set up a mechanism for time-bound redressal of industrial grievances.
The GR noted that new industries and Global Capability Centres are coming up in Chakan and Pune district on a large scale, while several cases are pending for necessary approvals and permissions from government departments.
The government has set a 10-month deadline from the date of the GR for completing the planning, approvals, coordination and actual implementation process.
Companies' grievances had prompted the Opposition to target the government.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar last week urged the Maharashtra government to take urgent steps to retain industries and protect jobs. He said the decision by 20 companies employing more than 2,000 workers to relocate was a "serious matter".
"Industries should not be forced to relocate, employment opportunities should be protected and the industrial strength of the state should be maintained," Pawar said in a post on X. He also suggested a special single-window mechanism to ensure timely resolution of their problems.
As many as 5,000 direct and indirect jobs would be lost if some companies in Chakan industrial area shifted their operations as they had announced, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray said on Saturday after visiting the area.
He claimed that "infrastructural mess, corruption, administrative mess and intra-and-inter-department rivalries" are among the reasons behind industries moving out.
The Opposition has also been targeting the government over data recently shared in Parliament showing that 36,211 private companies in Maharashtra shut down over the past five years.
