Pune: BJP's state coordinator for the Urban Development Cell, Ujjwal Keskar, has written to Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Eknath Shinde, urging that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) be appointed as the Special Planning Authority (SPA) for implementing town planning schemes in Uruli Devachi and Phursungi villages.

The PMC had previously prepared town planning schemes for these two villages, which were included in its jurisdiction in 2021, along with 21 other villages. However, the state government appointed the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) as the SPA for these areas.

Recently, the government also designated the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) as the SPA for 117 villages within PMRDA's jurisdiction.

Despite this, the PMC had independently drafted three town planning schemes for Uruli Devachi and Phursungi:

• Uruli Devachi Town Planning Scheme No. 6: Covering 109.78 hectares.

• Phursungi Town Planning Scheme No. 9: Covering 260.67 hectares.

• Phursungi Town Planning Scheme No. 10: Covering 238.50 hectares.

PMC’s draft plans include provisions to waive betterment charges totaling ₹1,047 crores, making the schemes more feasible for implementation. However, since these two villages are now set to be converted into independent municipal councils, they have been excluded from PMC's jurisdiction, raising concerns over the future of these schemes.

Highlighting this issue, Keskar has emphasized the need for consistency in planning and implementation. He has requested that the government appoint PMC as the SPA for these two villages to ensure the execution of the proposed schemes, similar to the appointments of PMRDA and MSRDC in other regions.