PMC to Penalize Departments 10× Cost for Digging Newly Laid Roads Ahead of Grand Cycle Challenge
PMC warns that any department digging freshly asphalted roads before the Grand Challenge cycling event will be fined ten times the repair cost to ensure road integrity and coordination.
Pune, October 09, 2025: As Pune gears up for the Grand Challenge Cycle Competition scheduled in January 2026, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has issued a stern directive: any department that digs up newly paved roads will be slapped with fines amounting to ten times the cost of the road work. The move is aimed at preserving recently laid surfaces and averting unnecessary damage ahead of the citywide event.
PMC Commissioner Navalkishore Ram emphasized that all underground infrastructure projects—be it for sewage, water, cables, or other utilities—must be completed before the roads are resurfaced. The warning is meant to curb post-paving disruptions that frequently arise once the defect liability period expires, which often forces costly repairs that burden the civic body.
To support this, PMC has floated tenders worth ₹145 crore for upgrading a 75 km stretch along the cycling route. The target is to finish upgrades by November, well ahead of the competition. In prior years, the corporation spent around ₹300 crore on asphalting nearly 100 km, only to see repeated rework due to later digs and utility work.
In a coordination meeting chaired by the Commissioner, representatives from the Road Department, Water Supply, Sewerage, Electric (MSEDCL), Traffic Police, and telecom/OFC firms were directed to synchronize their work schedules. All parties were instructed to finalize their underground works before road resurfacing begins, ensuring a “no excuse” policy and strict accountability.
PMC is not only focusing on road surfaces. An additional ₹10 crore budget has been sanctioned for infrastructure beautification. This includes feeder pillar installation, streetlight painting, divider repairs, footpath enhancements, and landscaping cleanup. The pedestrian pathways will use black and yellow paver blocks as a standard design, according to Additional Commissioner Om Prakash Divate.
The goal is twofold: present a visually appealing and functional cityscape during a high-profile international event, while avoiding civic headaches from recurring repairs. With this measure, PMC aims to enforce stricter discipline among departments and contractors, ensure the longevity of road works, and reduce extra expense and public inconvenience.
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