Pune, 8th August 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to speed up its Transferable Development Rights (TDR) approval process after facing strong criticism over long delays. At present, TDR proposals can take up to two years to get approved, a situation that MLAs highlighted in the state assembly, questioning the efficiency and transparency of the administration.
In response, PMC Commissioner Nawal Kishore Ram held a review meeting and directed officials to clear all TDR files within 135 to 180 days, effectively, within six months. He emphasized the need to reduce red tape and technical delays, ensuring that incomplete documentation is resolved quickly and proposals are processed without unnecessary hold-ups.
TDR is issued to landowners in exchange for land acquired for public projects under the city’s development plan. While PMC has a dedicated TDR cell within its building department, proposals have to pass through multiple departments, including legal, property, vigilance, and the additional commissioner’s office, before receiving the final approval from the commissioner.
Developers and architects often face significant hurdles in this process, including multiple visits to the municipal offices and delays due to excessive scrutiny. In many cases, files are expedited only after “special cooperation” or informal payments, a practice that has raised concerns of corruption and inefficiency.
The delay has become a major roadblock for many development projects in Pune, leading to frustration among developers and residents alike. MLAs have particularly pointed out the contrast with Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation, where similar TDR files are cleared in about two months.
During the meeting, the commissioner also stressed the importance of resolving legal disputes and technical issues early in the process. He instructed departments to ensure that all pending documentation is completed quickly, and that internal coordination is improved.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, City Engineer Prashant Waghmare said that the commissioner has asked for the entire process to be simplified. For disputed plots, the legal department must determine within 45 days whether issuing TDR is feasible.
The first phase of the process, which includes FSI verification, must be completed within 90 to 120 days, followed by a second phase involving land measurement, registration, and name changes in property records, to be wrapped up in 45 to 60 days.
These changes aim to bring transparency, restore public trust, and ensure that critical development projects across Pune are not stalled due to administrative delays.
