Pune: Urban development minister Madhuri Misal on Wednesday directed the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) to expedite the preparation of a structural plan and implement it within the next 12 to 18 months. This move aims to address delays in development permissions following the cancellation of the authority's draft development plan (DP).
Review Meeting at PMRDA Headquarters
The directive was issued during a review meeting at PMRDA's Akurdi headquarters, where progress on town planning schemes, the ring road project, and other key infrastructure initiatives was assessed. The meeting was attended by PMRDA commissioner Abhijit Chaudhari, additional commissioner K Manjulakshmi, and other senior officials.
Transfer of Town Planning Schemes
Misal stated that the transfer of five approved town planning schemes to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is underway. She assured that the state government would expedite approvals for the remaining 15 proposed schemes. Emphasizing their significance, she noted that the future of PMRDA's proposed inner ring road heavily depends on these schemes and urged officials to prioritize them.
Special Purpose Vehicle for Twin-Tunnel Project
The minister also directed officials to accelerate the formation of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the proposed twin-tunnel project. She called for a joint meeting between PMRDA and PMC to ensure coordinated planning of the High Capacity Mass Transit Route, the regional ring road, and the twin-tunnel project.
Encroachments on Government Land
During the review, PMRDA informed Misal about large-scale encroachments on government grazing land transferred to the authority. Drone surveys are being conducted to determine the extent of the encroachments, while efforts are underway to record PMRDA's ownership in revenue records. Misal noted that although around 2,000 hectares had been earmarked for the authority, it received significantly less usable land, with several parcels affected by encroachments and disputes. She suggested returning heavily encroached plots to the district administration in exchange for encumbrance-free land and taking the matter up with the state government.
International Convention Centre
Misal urged PMRDA to take the initiative in developing an international-standard convention centre without waiting for state funding, stating that the project could generate revenue while boosting regional development.
Interim Relief for Citizens
To provide interim relief to citizens until the structural plan is finalized, the minister told PMRDA to examine the possibility of granting certain building permissions based on proposed road-planning zones. She also assured support for extending the Unified Development Control and Promotion Regulations (UDCPR) framework across the PMRDA region.
Officials Present
Senior officials, including joint commissioners Rupali Awale-Dambe and Poonam Mehta, chief engineer Rinaz Pathan, director (development permission) Avinash Patil, and other department heads, were present and provided updates on ongoing projects and planning initiatives.
