Pune: Rs 750-Crore TDR Proposal for Janata Colony Hillside Redevelopment Sparks Debate
Pune, 12th August 2025: The Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) and the state government are considering a proposal to grant 100% Transferable Development Rights (TDR) for the rehabilitation of Janata Colony, a slum settlement on the Parvati hillside. Based on current market rates, the proposed TDR is valued at around ₹750 crore.
At present, construction on Pune’s hills is strictly restricted, with landowners eligible for only 0.04% to 0.08% TDR as compensation. However, the SRA is advocating full TDR benefits for the Janata Colony redevelopment. The land in question—plot numbers 519, 521A, and 521B—covers 1,19,579 sq. metres in Janata Bazar, Parvati.
In January 2025, then SRA CEO Nilesh Gatne approved the proposal for granting TDR. The State Housing Development Department cleared it in April and instructed the SRA to proceed with awarding 100% TDR. The authority has since initiated the process of taking possession of the land for redevelopment.
SRA CEO Satish Khadke said, “A proper decision will be taken after studying the Janata Vasahat redevelopment scheme.”
However, the proposal faces legal and regulatory challenges. Janata Bazar lies at the base of Parvati Devasthan, a heritage site, where building height restrictions apply. For the project to move forward, these restrictions will need to be lifted. A proposal to amend the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) has been pending with the state government for several years.
The move has also triggered controversy over policy parity. Critics note that while slum redevelopment projects on hill slopes may be eligible for 100% TDR, other hillside landowners—especially those under the Biodiversity Park (BDP) reservation in 23 villages—continue to receive just 0.08% TDR within municipal corporation limits and 0.04% in Pune’s old city areas.
Questions are being raised over the fairness of granting full TDR in cases where construction is otherwise impossible. Under SRA schemes, municipal and government landowners receive cash compensation worth 25% of the ready reckoner value. Opponents argue that the same principles should apply to hillside landowners, rather than offering what they see as an exceptional benefit in this case.
