Pune: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has been assigned as the Special Planning Authority for a 668-square-kilometer area that spans 137 villages within a one-kilometer radius on both sides of the proposed Ring Road around Pune.

This decision by the state government, which transfers development control to MSRDC, has raised concerns and is expected to generate new controversy.

The Ring Road project, spearheaded by MSRDC, aims to ease traffic congestion in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

With approvals and tendering processes finalized, the project is advancing to construction. The decision marks a shift in planning authority, as the state previously designated the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) in 2015 to manage development across the region.

The Ring Road cuts through PMRDA’s expansive 7,000-square-kilometer jurisdiction, for which PMRDA had already drafted a comprehensive development plan, currently pending judicial approval.

The state’s recent decision to assign planning authority to MSRDC for this stretch could impede PMRDA’s development strategy, creating potential legal and administrative conflicts.

In response, representatives from the local advocacy group Aapla Parisar have proposed that PMRDA’s role be reduced to managing infrastructure projects only, allowing MSRDC exclusive control over development permissions.

They further suggested that construction permits revert to the district collector’s office, enabling smoother regulatory oversight.

Aapla Parisar members, including Ujjwal Keskar, Prashant Badhe, and Suhas Kulkarni, expressed that this model would create a streamlined approach similar to New Mahabaleshwar, clarifying development control responsibilities across the area.