Maharashtra sets up panel to fix Chakan infrastructure crisis

The Maharashtra government has admitted to serious infrastructure gaps in Pune's Chakan industrial belt and set up a high-level panel to address them after over 20 companies threatened to move factories to Khandala due to potholed roads and traffic snarls, reports livemint.com. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis promised relief on Friday. Deputy CM Eknath Shinde on Sunday directed 14 departments to work together under the Pune district collector and prioritise filling potholes, using pre-cast roads and geo-polymer patches for monsoon repairs, as per hindustantimes.com.

Industries minister Uday Samant visited the area and set a 10-month deadline for priority works, warning that contractors delaying projects would be blacklisted. Shinde said the MIDC will provide land for a solid waste management project, police station, fire station and substation. Samant said additional substations and underground cabling are being considered, and a separate water supply review will be held with minister Gulabrao Patil.

Opposition leaders Sharad Pawar and Aaditya Thackeray have urged the government to protect jobs, with Thackeray claiming 5,000 direct and indirect jobs are at risk. NCP (SP) chief Pawar called the relocation threat a serious matter. Shinde has ordered a comprehensive plan covering sewage, water, roads and electricity, with a dedicated freight corridor and a new highway also in the pipeline.