The Pune administration has taken a strict stand to speed up the widening of the heavily congested and accident-prone Katraj-Kondhwa Road by initiating a compulsory land acquisition for pending properties.

Officials said the process of forced acquisition for the remaining land parcels will begin within the next two days if landowners fail to hand over possession voluntarily.

Deputy Commissioner of the Land Acquisition Department Nikhil More said the administration has set a target of completing the land acquisition process by 25th May so that the road widening work can progress without any further delay.

The Katraj-Kondhwa Road is considered to be one of Pune's most important traffic corridors and currently witnesses movement of over 15,000 vehicles per hour, including a significant number of heavy vehicles.

Officials said the project has gained momentum after financial support from both the state government and Pune Municipal Corporation. The work is reportedly being expedited under the guidance of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Under the plan, the Katraj-Kondhwa Road will eventually be widened to 84 metres. In the first phase, the administration plans to complete a 50-metre-wide road by June 2026.

For this 3.5-km project, the government needs land from 109 properties covering around 41,941 square metres.

So far, 28 property owners have given their land willingly, but land from 81 properties is still pending.

Officials said these owners have been given a final two-day deadline. After that, the administration will start compulsory land acquisition.

Authorities also said affected landowners will get compensation at double the market rate under the land acquisition law.