The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's general body has approved the appointment of three corporators to the planning committee, paving the way for the review of over 50,000 objections and suggestions submitted against the draft Development Plan (DP). The draft DP was published for public feedback on May 15 last year.
Appointees to the Panel
Standing committee chairman Abhishek Barne, along with Sandip Kaspate and Sarika Gaikwad, have been appointed to the panel. Earlier, the town planning department had nominated four expert members: retired joint director of town planning Prakash Bhukte, retired deputy directors Dattatray Pawar and Uttareshwar Londhe, and environmental engineering specialist Narsu Shinde.
Delayed Review Process
A senior civic official stated, "The review could not kick off as corporators' appointment, a key requirement for the scrutiny of the draft DP, was still pending. With the appointments complete, the committee will soon release a schedule for hearings. Once the hearings are completed, the panel will prepare a revised draft and submit it to state government for final approval."
Opposition and Controversy
The draft DP has faced significant opposition since its release, with residents and corporators alleging that reservations for public amenities were proposed on plots already occupied by residential buildings. The issue also reached the state assembly, where legislators questioned why such reservations were imposed on land that had previously received residential project approvals from the civic body.
Extension for Hearing Process
The general body has also approved a proposal seeking a six-month extension to complete the hearing process. As per rules, objections and suggestions are supposed to be addressed within a year of the draft plan's publication. The committee is expected to expedite the hearings to meet the revised timeline.
