Pune: PMRDA’s Development Plan Hangs in the Balance Pending High Court Approval
Pune, 3rd February 2024: Commissioner Rahul Mahiwal of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has announced that the chief minister’s development plan (DP) authority meeting is contingent on approval from the Bombay High Court.
Mahiwal expressed the intention to seek consent promptly by submitting an affidavit to the HC within the next two weeks.
The clearance for the DP covering an area of approximately 7,000 sq km faces potential delays due to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, as per sources from the PMRDA. This could happen if the court hearing is not expedited.
A PMRDA official revealed that this delay might extend the entire process beyond the elections, scheduled in a few months. They are hopeful that the court will grant permission for the meeting.
Earlier, CM Eknath Shinde had initially scheduled the draft DP authority meeting for January 24, but it was rescheduled. According to the court’s directives, the state must first obtain HC clearance for the draft DP.
In December 2023, officials concluded hearings on the 69,200 suggestions and objections to the draft DP. The expert committee submitted the plan to PMRDA with twenty-three recommendations.
The Bombay High Court mandated the state to secure its approval before finalizing the development plan (DP), while also allowing the state’s urban development department to continue receiving comments and objections to the draft DP.
A PIL filed by three gram panchayats of Khed, Mulshi, and Maval talukas led to an interim order by a high court bench comprising Justices AS Chandurkar and Abhay Waghwase.
