Pune: PCMC Halts Charholi Town Planning Schemes After Protests; Bandh Called Off
Charholi, 30th May 2025: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) on Thursday announced a suspension of all activities related to the proposed town planning (TP) schemes in Charholi, following strong opposition from local residents and elected representatives. In response, residents withdrew the bandh they had planned for Friday.
Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh confirmed the decision through an official statement, noting that the civic body had paused preparations for the TP schemes. “Considering the feedback and concerns raised by citizens and public representatives, we have decided to halt all current work on the Charholi TP plans,” he stated.
A senior civic official clarified that while the plans are now on hold, a final resolution to scrap the schemes altogether will require approval during a forthcoming general body meeting. “We have not yet decided when the proposal to cancel the TP schemes will be tabled. However, until then, no further action will be taken,” the official added.
The civic body had earlier proposed six TP schemes — one in Chikhali and five in Charholi, covering a total of 1,805 hectares. On May 16, the general body approved the cancellation of the Chikhali plan, and similar action is now anticipated for the Charholi schemes.
Former mayor and Charholi resident Nitin Kalje, who has been actively involved in the protests, welcomed the move but remained cautious. “After the PCMC announced the suspension, we held discussions with residents. We’ve decided to wait until Tuesday for the municipal corporation to officially introduce the cancellation proposal in the general body meeting. If that doesn’t happen, we’ll consider our next steps,” Kalje said.
Locals had raised concerns that the TP schemes would further diminish landholdings, particularly those of farmers who had already lost substantial plots to previous infrastructure projects. They also argued that a revised development plan had already placed many parcels under reservation for public use, making the new TP schemes unnecessary.
