Political parties oppose PCNTDA-PMRDA merger

After Girish Bapat, Pune’s guardian minister, hinted at a possible merger of the Pimpri Chinchwad new township development authority (PCNTDA) and the Pune metropolitan region development authority (PMDRA), all political parties active in Pimpri-Chinchwad, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have come out in opposition of the initiative.

After Girish Bapat, Pune’s guardian minister, hinted at a possible merger of the Pimpri Chinchwad new township development authority (PCNTDA) and the Pune metropolitan region development authority (PMDRA), all political parties active in Pimpri-Chinchwad, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), have come out in opposition of the initiative.

Bapat was speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the Empire Estate flyover on Monday and said that the decision regarding the merger will be taken soon.

Nitin Kalje, mayor of Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), said,“Such decisions, which have a huge impact on the livelihoods of many residents, are taken by senior leaders, but as a resident of Pimpri-Chinchwad, I am not happy with the decision. Earlier, I had written a letter to the chief minister requesting that PCNTDA be merged with PCMC.”

The state government should consider the geography of the areas under question before initiating a merger, Kalje added.

Shrirang Barne, Shiv Sena member of parliament, also expressed his opposition to the merger. Barne, in a press release, stated that the Shiv Sena is opposing the merger as it would be an “injustice to Pimpri-Chinchwad residents”.