Pune: In a bid to develop and construct the Baner-Pashan Link Road (BPLR), over 50 residential societies of BPLR came on the streets and organised a silent protest at Rolling Hill Square behind Veritas IT company from 10 to 11 am on Saturday.

The 120 feet link road was part of the DP plan of 1992 for Pashan area and many residents brought properties in the area after rapid development of the area post 1997, as they expected the road to be developed, but the case was not the same. Land acquisition was the main problem behind it. Dinkar Gojare, Executive Road Engineer, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), said, "We have all the provisions including budget, machinery and workers but there are 6 to 7 land owners who are not ready for land acquisition."

This road, which was supposed to serve as an important link to suburbs and villages of Bavdhan, Sus, Pashan, Sutarwadi, Someshwarwadi with Baner, Balewadi and Aundh has not been completely constructed since two decades, thereby putting tremendous traffic load on the existing old 12 metre link road, which is encroached in many sections and does not have proper footpaths or parking facilities.

Madhukar Dalvi, one of the land owners at BPLR, said, "I have submitted all the necessary documents including FSI and TDR for land acquisition to PMC on July 1, 2014, but still PMC has not taken any necessary steps for the acquisition of our land."

Rajendra Chuttar, President of BPLR, said, "Acquisition of the land, which is the main problem of the road, should be taken on priority and 120 feet road should be constructed at the earliest on the lines of the smart city project."

Chuttar added, "We are going to wait for PMC to acquisite the lands and make developments in this area. If they are not taking any steps, then we will organise a silent protest in front of the PMC building".

The current situation is alarming, as due to the increase in traffic from Pashan through Sus, Nande to Hinjawadi, the old BPLR road has become a high traffic density road.