E-Paper
‘Appoint PMC as planning authority to prepare DP of 23 merged villages’
Municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram has written to state’s urban development department requesting PMC be appointed as the planning authority for preparing DP of the 23 merged villages
PUNE: Municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram has written to the state’s urban development department (UDD), requesting that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) be appointed as the planning authority for preparing the development plan (DP) of the 23 villages merged into the civic limits.
Earlier, the Maharashtra government had designated the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) as the planning authority for these villages and directed it to prepare the DP. The PMRDA began work in 2021 and had almost completed the plan when in July 2025, the state government scrapped it.
In his letter to the UDD principal secretary dated September 9, 2025, Ram stated, “As these areas are part of the PMC, the corporation should be the planning authority. Since the PMC is already providing infrastructure and basic services, it should also be empowered to collect development charges from these areas.” Ram urged the government to consider the proposal and formally appoint the PMC as the development authority.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ujwal Keskar has also written to chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde, supporting the demand. Keskar pointed out that the high court is scheduled to hear a related matter next week, and urged the government to take a decision before the hearing.
The 23 merged villages are Mahalunge, Sus, Bavdhan, Kirkatwadi, Pisoli, Kondve Dhavade, Kopre, Nanded, Khadakwasla, Manjari, Narhe, Holkarwadi, Authade-Handewadi, Vadachi Wadi, Shewalewadi, Nandoshi, Sanasnagar, Mangadewadi, Bhilarewadi, Gujarwadi, Jambulwadi, Kolewadi and Wagholi.
