Pune, 31 October 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has stated that the ambitious High-Capacity Mass Transit Route (HCMTR) project has not been cancelled. The civic body said the project remains an important part of Pune’s urban development plan and will be taken up in stages depending on the availability of funds and land.
The clarification came after environmental groups claimed that PMC’s lawyers told the Supreme Court the project had been withdrawn. The groups cited a letter mentioning that PMC’s counsel, Abhijit Kulkarni, along with India’s Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, had reportedly informed the court that the project was scrapped and that it would be reasonable to start the process of removing it from Pune’s development plan under the MRTP Act.
In response, Additional Municipal Commissioner Omprakash Divte said the claims were incorrect. He explained that the HCMTR remains part of Pune’s development vision since 1987, aimed at reducing traffic congestion. “The project is not cancelled. It is delayed because it requires large-scale land acquisition and significant funding. Once land and funds are available, work will proceed,” he said.
Divte added that PMC had invited bids worth ₹5,200 crore for the project. However, the tender was later cancelled because the quoted rates were 45% higher than estimated. For now, PMC is prioritizing other infrastructure works while continuing to plan the HCMTR in phases.
The proposed 36-kilometer circular elevated expressway will connect key areas such as Balbharati and Paud Phata, easing traffic movement across Pune. PMC has already secured around 50% of the required land, while another 25% is government-owned. Only 25% of private land acquisition remains pending.
According to civic officials, once financial resources and land are secured, construction will begin, making the HCMTR one of the city’s most significant steps toward solving Pune’s growing traffic woes.