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Hinjewadi’s IT workforce and villagers divided on merger with PCMC
The merger proposal, which has been pending with the state government since 2015, includes the inclusion of seven villages - Hinjewadi, Maan, Marunji, Gahunje, Jambhe, Nere and Sangavade - under PCMC
The nearly decade-old proposal to merge Hinjewadi and nearby villages into the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has reignited the controversy around it and brought the focus back on the sharp divide between local villagers and the resident IT workforce on the matter. While many native residents of Hinjewadi, Maan, and other adjoining villages oppose the merger, IT professionals and new residents strongly back it, in the hope of improved infrastructure and unified governance.
The merger proposal, which has been pending with the state government since 2015, includes the inclusion of seven villages - Hinjewadi, Maan, Marunji, Gahunje, Jambhe, Nere and Sangavade - under PCMC. Though the corporation passed the resolution and forwarded it to the state government nearly a decade ago, no decision has been taken on the matter yet.
Despite being a booming IT hub with thousands of daily commuters, Hinjewadi suffers from civic issues like poor roads, traffic congestion, irregular garbage collection, and waterlogging. These problems are exacerbated by the overlapping of jurisdiction and a lack of coordination among the multiple agencies, including the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), PCMC, and the Pune Zilla Parishad.
Two weeks ago, when parts of Hinjewadi were flooded even with moderate rainfall, over 25,000 people, including IT employees and residents, signed an online petition under the campaign ‘#Unclog_Hinjawadi_IT_Park’, demanding that the area be brought under PCMC’s governance. However, the villagers have opposed the move, saying they would not prefer to be merged with Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation.
Pavanjit Mane, spokesperson for the Forum of IT Employees (FITE), said, “Hinjewadi hosts global companies but has third-rate infrastructure. Right now, there’s complete confusion. MIDC handles some areas, PMRDA others, gram panchayats have no funds, and PWD does patchwork. If there’s a single body like PCMC, we can at least hold someone accountable.”
Sachin Londhe, member of Wakad-Pimpri Chinchwad Residents Development and Welfare Association, added, “We’re not demanding luxuries, just basic civic rights. Lakhs of professionals are stuck in traffic daily and live with zero amenities. The area needs a long-term, unified solution.”
But, the proposal has met with stiff resistance from the villages’ leadership. Hinjewadi sarpanch Pushkar Jabhulkar said, “We are not against development, but the real issues like garbage, roads, and water lie within the MIDC zone, not the village. These are problems caused by the IT corridor and must be resolved by PMRDA and MIDC, not by merging our village.”
He further said that the farmers fear that they won’t get fair compensation for their open lands, which may be reserved under municipal zoning. “Also, the Zilla Parishad is already providing basic amenities to the village. We’ve called a Gram Sabha next week to finalise our stand,” he added.
Maan Sarpanch Uday Adhav echoed the concern: “There is no guarantee that a merger will bring development. Look at the condition of villages already added to PCMC - they are still waiting for roads and water. We don’t want to meet the same fate.”
PMRDA, PCMC differ
Meanwhile, PMRDA commissioner Dr Yogesh Mhase acknowledged the need for better coordination. “Yes, there are governance issues. That’s why I’ve initiated roadwork and other improvements in Hinjewadi. But a merger isn’t the only solution. We must work together as agencies to solve this.”
A senior PCMC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, agreed: “People think merging will solve everything overnight. But we are already stretched thin trying to provide services to newly-merged areas. Without adequate funds and manpower, adding more villages will only worsen the load.”
