Pune, 30 April 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated steps to prepare a comprehensive development plan for 23 villages merged into the city limits.
A proposal to formally declare the intent for the development plan and appoint a town planning officer has been submitted before the City Improvement Committee, with approval expected in the upcoming meeting.
These 23 villages were incorporated into PMC limits on June 30, 2021, following a state government decision. Initially, the responsibility of preparing the development plan was assigned to the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).
However, the earlier plan faced serious criticism over alleged irregularities and procedural flaws, along with accusations of financial misconduct.
The draft plan prepared by PMRDA received around 65,000 objections and suggestions, leading the current government to scrap it. Subsequently, building permission authority for these areas was transferred back to PMC, and the civic body was directed to prepare a revised and improved development plan.
As part of the new proposal, PMC has recommended appointing City Engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar as the town planning officer for drafting the plan. According to provisions of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, the planning authority must first declare its intent before initiating the development plan process.
This will require approval from the City Improvement Committee, followed by final clearance from the general body.
Despite being merged into PMC nearly five years ago, residents in these villages continue to face a lack of basic infrastructure such as roads, parks, playgrounds, and cultural facilities. Political delays have slowed down the planning process, leaving citizens waiting for essential amenities.
Although the earlier plan was scrapped, PMRDA had already completed preliminary surveys, land measurements, existing land-use maps, and baseline data collection. PMC is expected to utilise this data to expedite the preparation of the new development plan and avoid further delays.
