Pune: PMC Begins Fresh Development Plan for Pune’s 23 Merged Villages, Sets Up Dedicated Planning Cell
Pune, 4th July 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has initiated the process of preparing a Development Plan (DP) for the 23 villages merged into the city’s municipal limits in 2021. Following approval from the PMC General Body, the civic administration has constituted a 26-member team and established a dedicated Development Plan Cell to expedite the exercise.
The Maharashtra government had merged 23 villages on the outskirts of Pune with the PMC limits in June 2021. However, instead of assigning the responsibility of preparing the Development Plan to the PMC, the state government had designated the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) as the planning authority.
The decision had sparked a political controversy, with the then-ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi and the opposition Mahayuti trading allegations over the issue.
PMRDA subsequently prepared a draft Development Plan, but it drew widespread criticism. Several objections were raised over the proposed conversion of agricultural land into residential zones, the reservation of land at select locations, and allegations that the plan disproportionately benefited large real estate developers. Numerous complaints were submitted to the state government.
Following the change of government in Maharashtra in 2022, several representations were reportedly made to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis regarding the draft plan. Acting on these complaints, the state government directed that the PMRDA-prepared Development Plan be scrapped.
The responsibility for preparing a fresh Development Plan was subsequently transferred to the Pune Municipal Corporation. In line with this decision, the PMC General Body recently approved a proposal to issue the formal notice of intent for the Development Plan and appointed City Engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar as the Town Planning Officer for the project.
Dedicated Planning Cell Established
After receiving approval to initiate the Development Plan process, the PMC administration has begun preparations by establishing a dedicated Development Plan Cell.
Executive Engineer Dinesh Girolla has been appointed to head the cell. The 26-member team includes five Deputy Engineers, six Branch Engineers, one Junior Engineer, four Draftsmen, two Architectural Draftsmen, three Typists, and four support staff, all of whom have been assigned full-time responsibilities for the project.
Additional Municipal Commissioner Prajit Nair has issued the necessary administrative orders for setting up the planning cell.
The civic body will now publish a formal notice of intent through newspapers and the Maharashtra Government Gazette, after which the preparation of the Development Plan will officially commence.
Draft Plan Expected Earlier Than Scheduled
Under the provisions of the planning process, the PMC has up to two years to prepare the draft Development Plan. However, officials believe the timeline could be significantly reduced since substantial groundwork had already been undertaken by PMRDA during its earlier planning exercise.
The existing surveys and planning data are expected to be used as reference material while preparing the fresh Development Plan, enabling the civic administration to complete the process in a shorter period than originally stipulated.
The new Development Plan is expected to play a crucial role in guiding infrastructure development, road networks, public amenities, zoning regulations, and future urban growth across the 23 merged villages.
