Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has successfully recovered a penalty of ₹3.10 crore from a construction developer who conducted unauthorized road excavation in Kharadi.

The recovery, which was made last week, comes after a year-long follow-up process initiated by the municipal authorities in response to a complaint filed by a concerned citizen.

The issue came to light in May 2023 when Bharat Surana, a vigilant resident, noticed that a road in Kharadi was being dug up to lay electrical lines for a construction project.

Upon investigation, it was revealed that the PMC had not granted permission for this excavation. Acting on the complaint, the PMC's Road Department issued a notice to the developer in July 2023.

The notice highlighted that the road was excavated without authorization for a length of 850 meters and imposed a threefold penalty on the developer.

The PMC charges private companies ₹12,192 per meter for such work, while government and semi-government organizations are given a 50% discount.

MSEDCL or Mahavitaran, the state electricity distribution company, is charged around ₹2,300 per meter. Given the unauthorized nature of the work, the penalty imposed on the developer was ₹3.10 crore, which was finally deposited into the municipal treasury after persistent follow-up efforts.

Aniruddha Pawaskar, head of the PMC's Road Department, confirmed that the penalty had been successfully recovered. "The construction developer was penalized for unauthorized road excavation, and the amount has been collected as per the threefold penalty rule," he said.

Bharat Surana, the complainant, expressed satisfaction that justice had been served, albeit after a prolonged process.