Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
To resolve the persistent traffic congestion in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced the establishment of a freight transport hub at Karodi nearly a decade ago. The state cabinet had approved the project, and 24 hectares (60 acres) of land were transferred to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) for implementation. However, over time, the project and the land allocated for it seem to have been forgotten by the administration.
Land was acquired, required funds were sanctioned, and a private firm was appointed to draft the plan. It prepared and submitted the project layout and financial report to the MSRDC office in Mumbai. However, after a change in government and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project file was sidelined. Local officials themselves have admitted, “We have no updates,” confirming the project’s current state of neglect.
What happened after the government’s nod?
The Maharashtra Cabinet, in its meeting on October 4, 2016, approved the plan to set up the freight transport hub (Malvahatuknagar). Accordingly, on November 3, 2017, 24 hectares of land from Survey No. 24 at Karodi were officially transferred to MSRDC. A budget of Rs 75 crore was sanctioned. The Mumbai-based company Fourtek was appointed as the project management consultant, and it submitted the detailed project report to MSRDC’s Mumbai office. Since then, the project has seen no further progress.
Why is the Transport Hub Necessary?
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is an industrial hub, with 2,000–2,500 freight trucks entering and leaving the city daily.
Over 1,200 of these trucks halt overnight in the city due to the lack of a designated hub, leading to roadside parking and severe traffic congestion.
Currently, 247 freight operators are active in the city.
The industry handles transactions worth Rs 40–50 crore daily.
A dedicated transport hub would consolidate all truck operations in one place, eliminating urban traffic bottlenecks.
Lack of political will stalls the project
The absence of political will from local leadership is evident. When officials from a key department like MSRDC themselves claim to have no updates on the project, the prospects for its implementation look bleak.
Transport operators to meet the Chief Minister
"Despite having land, funding, and a blueprint ready, we don’t understand why the project is still stalled. Cities like Nagpur, Pune, and Nashik have transport hubs. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar needs one too. We’ve been pushing for this for the past 15 years. Now, we plan to meet the Chief Minister next week along with local public representatives,” said Fayyaz Khan, President of the Freight Transport Operators' Association.