Brace for pothole-ridden state highways this monsoon as PWD struggles with funds crunch to take up works in Pune region

Pune: Major state highways in the Pune region are likely to remain in disrepair ahead of the monsoon, with the public works department receiving barely 10% of the required budget for sanctioned projects across five districts.
Key stretches like Mulshi-Pashan-Sus, Kolhapur-Mahabaleshwar-Wai and Khandala-Koregoan-Karad were prioritised for urgent repairs in the division. "We've been consistently pursuing the state government for necessary funding, but the disbursement process is slow despite clearance of works. This has hindered progress, leaving many state highway stretches unattended as contractors refuse to work until funds are released," a senior official from the public works department (PWD) said.
The state has a 1-lakh-kilometre of road network, including 20,400km in the Pune region.
PWD officials said the department was allocated only Rs 350-400 crore for the projects against a demand of over Rs 5,000 crore. "This severe funding shortfall has brought most repair works to a standstill," a PWD official said.
The officials said state govt had assured disbursement of Rs 3,000 crore till March and another Rs 1,500-2,000 crore before June to complete the works.
Financial constraints are not only affecting highways but also critical infrastructure projects, including Ujani dam backwater bridge. Many small and big bridges in the region face similar challenges. Besides, the department's plans to repair or renovate around 500 govt offices are also likely to be shelved owing to the funds crunch, further exacerbating the region's infrastructure woes.
The officials said the issue extended beyond the Pune region, with projects worth Rs 70,000-80,000 crore stalled annually statewide. The department required Rs 1 lakh crore, but only received Rs 10,000 crore, resulting in a persistent backlog of works.
Commuters using the state highways said state govt should prioritise allocating funds for essential infrastructure projects rather than announcing free sops. "Repairing the state highways should have been taken up on priority. Leaving the roads unrepaired will put the commuters at risk of accidents," entrepreneur J Joshi said.
Sneha Munot, a frequent traveller on state highways, expressed her concerns about the reduced payment to the department responsible for maintaining roads, bridges and buildings. "It is about time that state govt started focusing on this department, rather than focusing on the women and child development department for the Ladki Bahin scheme," a political observer said.
PWD has been facing a severe funds crunch, prompting them to issue guidelines limiting new projects early this week. The move came after contractors demanded payment for outstanding work on roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects for almost a year. The contractors said PWD owed them Rs 46,000 crore, with total dues amounting to Rs 90,000 crore. Officials attribute this crisis to govt sanctioning projects exceeding their allocated budget.
Pune: Major state highways in the Pune region are likely to remain in disrepair ahead of the monsoon, with the public works department receiving barely 10% of the required budget for sanctioned projects across five districts.
Key stretches like Mulshi-Pashan-Sus, Kolhapur-Mahabaleshwar-Wai and Khandala-Koregoan-Karad were prioritised for urgent repairs in the division. "We've been consistently pursuing the state government for necessary funding, but the disbursement process is slow despite clearance of works. This has hindered progress, leaving many state highway stretches unattended as contractors refuse to work until funds are released," a senior official from the public works department (PWD) said.
The state has a 1-lakh-kilometre of road network, including 20,400km in the Pune region.
PWD officials said the department was allocated only Rs 350-400 crore for the projects against a demand of over Rs 5,000 crore. "This severe funding shortfall has brought most repair works to a standstill," a PWD official said.
The officials said state govt had assured disbursement of Rs 3,000 crore till March and another Rs 1,500-2,000 crore before June to complete the works.
Financial constraints are not only affecting highways but also critical infrastructure projects, including Ujani dam backwater bridge. Many small and big bridges in the region face similar challenges. Besides, the department's plans to repair or renovate around 500 govt offices are also likely to be shelved owing to the funds crunch, further exacerbating the region's infrastructure woes.
The officials said the issue extended beyond the Pune region, with projects worth Rs 70,000-80,000 crore stalled annually statewide. The department required Rs 1 lakh crore, but only received Rs 10,000 crore, resulting in a persistent backlog of works.
Commuters using the state highways said state govt should prioritise allocating funds for essential infrastructure projects rather than announcing free sops. "Repairing the state highways should have been taken up on priority. Leaving the roads unrepaired will put the commuters at risk of accidents," entrepreneur J Joshi said.
Sneha Munot, a frequent traveller on state highways, expressed her concerns about the reduced payment to the department responsible for maintaining roads, bridges and buildings. "It is about time that state govt started focusing on this department, rather than focusing on the women and child development department for the Ladki Bahin scheme," a political observer said.
PWD has been facing a severe funds crunch, prompting them to issue guidelines limiting new projects early this week. The move came after contractors demanded payment for outstanding work on roads, bridges and other infrastructure projects for almost a year. The contractors said PWD owed them Rs 46,000 crore, with total dues amounting to Rs 90,000 crore. Officials attribute this crisis to govt sanctioning projects exceeding their allocated budget.