Pune: PMC Gets Green Signal to Prepare Development Plan for 23 Merged Villages
Reported by Mubarak Ansari
Pune, 22nd June 2026: Five years after 23 villages on Pune’s outskirts were merged into the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) limits, the civic body has finally initiated the process to prepare a comprehensive development plan for their planned growth.
The PMC General Body on Monday approved a proposal to issue a formal declaration of intent for preparing the Development Plan (DP) for the 23 villages and appoint a town planning officer to oversee the process. The final development plan is expected to be completed within the next three years.
The Maharashtra government had decided to merge 23 villages adjoining Pune city into PMC limits in June 2021. However, instead of assigning the responsibility to PMC, the state government had designated the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) as the planning authority for preparing the development plan.
PMRDA had initiated work on the plan, but it faced criticism over allegations that it proposed converting large tracts of agricultural land into residential zones and earmarked reservations in a manner that would benefit major developers. Several complaints were subsequently submitted to the state government.
Following these objections, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis directed that the draft plan prepared by PMRDA be scrapped.
After the PMRDA plan was cancelled, the state government transferred the responsibility of preparing the development plan for the 23 villages to PMC.
Accordingly, the civic administration proposed issuing the declaration of intent and appointing City Engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar as the town planning officer for the project. The proposal had earlier received approval from the City Improvement Committee and was unanimously cleared by corporators across party lines during Monday’s General Body meeting.
PMC officials said the corporation has a statutory period of two years to prepare the draft development plan. However, since substantial groundwork had already been completed by PMRDA, the existing data and studies could be utilised, potentially reducing the time required to prepare the new plan.
The work will be undertaken by PMC’s Development Plan (DP) Cell. The process will include a survey of existing land use patterns in the villages and future planning based on projected population growth over the next 20 years.
Once the draft plan is prepared, PMC will invite objections and suggestions from citizens. A state-appointed committee will then conduct hearings before the revised plan is placed before the General Body for approval. Following approval by the civic body, the proposal will be sent to the state government for final clearance and notification.
Officials said the entire process could be completed within three years.
“Approval has been granted to prepare a development plan for the planned and long-term growth of the 23 villages. This will help ensure balanced development across these areas,” said Ganesh Bidkar, Leader of the House in PMC.
The 23 villages include Mhalunge, Sus, Bavdhan Budruk, Kirkatwadi, Pisoli, Kondhwe-Dhawade, Kopre, Nanded, Khadakwasla, Manjari Budruk, Narhe, Holkarwadi, Autade-Handewadi, Wadachiwadi, Shewalewadi, Nandoshi, Sanas Nagar, Mangadewadi, Kolewadi, Bhilarewadi, Nimbalkarwadi, Jambhulwadi, and Wagholi.
