Pune: The Maharashtra State Infrastructure Development Corporation (MSIDC) has submitted a detailed draft report for the proposed Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur National Highway No. 548D to the Cabinet for approval. The draft, routed through the Additional Chief Secretary of the Public Works Department, seeks several financial exemptions to make the project economically viable.

A meeting was convened on Wednesday (January 22) at MSIDC's Nariman Point office, where Maval MLA Sunil Shelke, Khed MLA Babaji Kale, and members of the Talegaon-Chakan-Shikrapur Highway Action Committee reviewed the project with MSIDC Managing Director Brijesh Dixit.

Speaking during the meeting, Dixit stated, “The draft, submitted on January 1, includes requests for exemptions on Goods and Services Tax (GST), stamp duty, and minor mineral usage. Upon receiving Cabinet approval, the land acquisition process and tender work will be expedited.” He also praised the Highway Action Committee for its consistent efforts in following up on the project.

MLA Sunil Shelke stressed the urgency of obtaining Cabinet approval in the upcoming meeting and committed to pursuing the matter with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. “The responsibility of securing this approval rests on me,” Shelke said.

Addressing concerns about current traffic congestion, MLA Babaji Kale asked for immediate solutions. Dixit responded that the road is officially under the jurisdiction of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and that relief measures would follow once funding is secured post-Cabinet approval.

The proposed highway will span 53 km, connecting the Mumbai-Pune National Highway (NH-48) with the Pune-Sambhajinagar National Highway (NH-753), serving as a bypass for Pune city. It is designed as a four-lane elevated highway with flyovers at critical junctions to alleviate the frequent traffic jams that currently plague the route.

The project’s estimated cost of ₹6,499.22 crore will be financed via toll securitization or loans, with MSIDC as the project executor. Additionally, the draft proposes developing the route as a green corridor to obtain carbon credits for financial sustainability.

The meeting was attended by Highway Action Committee officials, including Chairman Nitin Gade, Vice Chairman Dilip Dolas, and Secretary Amit Prabhavalkar.