Work on the Pune-Shirur National Highway has faced opposition from farmers in Kondhapuri, Shirur taluka, who allege that measurement, hearings, land acquisition and compensation procedures have not been completed before roadside work began. Around 100 farmers submitted a memorandum to the Shirur tehsildar on Friday, seeking completion of the legal process before further construction activity is undertaken.
The affected farmers said work linked to National Highway 753F was continuing without taking them into confidence. They alleged that trees on agricultural land had been cut without prior notice or permission and that other roadside activities were being carried out before the completion of land acquisition and compensation procedures.
According to the memorandum, objections from affected landowners had not been formally invited and no hearing had been conducted. The farmers also said that land acquisition had not yet been completed and that compensation had not been paid to affected agricultural landowners, residents or commercial property owners along the road.
Copies of the memorandum were sent to the Deputy Chief Minister, the Public Works Minister, the divisional commissioner, the Pune district collector and the superintendent of police. The submission was made after a meeting of affected farmers and residents at the Shri Khandoba Temple in Kondhapuri, held in the presence of Sanjay Pachange, president of Krantiveer Pratishthan.
The farmers said they were not opposed to the national highway project itself. Their demand, as recorded in the memorandum, is that the authorities complete the prescribed procedures under applicable laws and government rules before starting or continuing work on land and roadside areas affecting them.
At the meeting, the affected residents reportedly decided that work would not be permitted within Kondhapuri’s limits until measurement and land acquisition were completed, objections were invited and heard, and compensation was paid to affected farmers, residential owners and commercial establishments. They also warned of an agitation if work was forcibly continued without completing these steps.
The dispute places land acquisition and compensation at the centre of the project’s implementation in a rapidly developing corridor between Pune and Shirur. For highway projects, the sequence of measurement, notification, hearing, acquisition and compensation determines when private land and roadside properties can lawfully be used for construction. The farmers’ memorandum alleges that this sequence has not been followed in Kondhapuri.
The national highway administration could not be contacted for its response to the allegations when the report was published. The next official steps will depend on the tehsil administration and the highway authorities’ response to the memorandum and the demands raised by the affected landowners.
