Ajit Pawar orders land transfer for Pune riverfront project at nominal rate.
22 hectares across govt. departments, Defence land deal underway.
PMC seeks ₹300 crore to reduce floods at Ektanagari.
Pune, 30 September 2025: Pune’s ambitious riverfront development project between Bund Garden and Mundhwa bridge hit a hurdle when the district administration demanded ₹116 crore from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for state-owned land.
At a review meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stepped in, instructing officials to transfer the land at a nominal rate. He emphasized that this is a priority project monitored from the Chief Minister’s war room and asked why the government should charge its own city agency for land needed for a government-led project.
The disputed land spans around 22 hectares and includes plots under the Women and Child Welfare Department, the Botanical Garden, the Forest Department, and the Defence Department. While the Defence land at Sangamwadi has already been cleared for work with PMC agreeing to pay ₹32 crore, the rest is still pending transfer. An agreement with the Defence authorities is expected soon.
Pawar’s directive is expected to ease the financial burden on PMC and speed up progress on the riverfront project, which will later extend from Aundh to Wakad.
In the same meeting, PMC also sought ₹300 crore from the state’s disaster management fund for a new phase of the project between Rajaram bridge and Warje, aimed at reducing flood risk in the Ektanagari area. Pawar said a decision would be taken after reviewing the available funds, promising that approval would be granted if resources remain.