Pune District Council Greenlights Rs1,032.88 Crore Annual Plan for 2026-27
The District Planning and Development Council (DPDC) in Pune convened on Thursday and gave its formal approval to a comprehensive draft annual plan amounting to Rs1,032.88 crore for the district for the fiscal year 2026-27. In a significant move, the Pune district administration has formally requested an additional allocation of Rs700 crore from the Maharashtra state government to ensure the execution of high-priority development works across the region.
Guardian Minister Sunetra Pawar Chairs Meeting, Outlines Key Focus Areas
Deputy Chief Minister and District Guardian Minister Sunetra Pawar presided over the crucial meeting via video conference from Mumbai. She emphasized that the draft plan is strategically designed to bolster several critical sectors essential for holistic district growth. The primary focus areas include rural development, transport infrastructure, non-conventional energy projects, urban and health infrastructure, women and child empowerment initiatives, skill-based employment generation, education infrastructure, and sports and arts development.
Minister Pawar provided a detailed breakdown of the proposed allocations within the Rs1,032.88 crore plan:
- Rural Development: Rs135 crore
- Transport Development: Rs115 crore
- Urban Infrastructure: Rs116.25 crore
- Non-Conventional Energy: Rs80 crore
- Tourism: Rs56.86 crore
- Green Maharashtra Initiatives: Rs40 crore
- Health Infrastructure: Rs110.71 crore
- Women and Child Empowerment: Rs29.44 crore
- Governance Reforms: Rs78.50 crore
- Skill-Based Employment Generation: Rs10.5 crore
- Education Infrastructure: Rs100 crore
- Sports and Arts Development: Rs10.1 crore
Scrutiny of Demands and Request for Additional Funds
Despite the state government setting a financial ceiling of Rs1,032.88 crore for Pune district for 2026-27, various government departments had initially submitted project demands totaling a staggering Rs3,128 crore. Following a rigorous scrutiny process, only those projects deemed essential and high-priority for the overall development of the district were incorporated into the final draft plan.
"A formal proposal seeking an additional Rs700 crore will be submitted to the state government to bridge the funding gap and ensure critical works are not delayed," stated Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar during the meeting.
Key Directives and Review of Previous Expenditure
Minister Pawar issued clear directives to officials, instructing them to prioritize large-scale, high-impact projects over smaller, fragmented works, with a special emphasis on uplifting backward and remote areas of the district. She also mandated strict adherence to timelines for administrative approvals, tendering processes, and the actual execution of projects.
The council conducted a thorough review of the expenditure under the 2025-26 plan, which amounted to Rs1,589.46 crore. This total includes Rs1,379 crore under the general plan, Rs145 crore allocated for the scheduled caste sub-plan, and Rs65.46 crore under the tribal component plan.
Stressing the paramount importance of fiscal discipline and quality in project implementation, Pawar called for the timely and efficient utilization of funds, aligning with the principles established by her late husband, former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. A detailed in-person review meeting has been scheduled for April to assess progress.
Focus on Agriculture and First Meeting After Ajit Pawar's Demise
District Collector Jitendra Dudi presented the expenditure report for 2025-26 and outlined the key focus areas for 2026-27. These priorities include boosting agricultural growth and farm income through allied sectors, implementing robust water and soil conservation measures, and undertaking groundwater augmentation projects.
This DPDC meeting held significant emotional weight as it was the first convened after the tragic demise of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on January 28. The committee members began the proceedings by observing a minute of silence in his memory.
Baramati MP Supriya Sule, sister-in-law of Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar, participated in the meeting via video conference from Delhi. During the session, she suggested that future council meetings be scheduled during periods when Parliament is not in session to allow Members of Parliament to attend in person and contribute more effectively.
Chief Minister Fadnavis Conducts Parallel Review
In a parallel development, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the finance portfolio, reviewed Pune's draft district annual plan for 2026-27 via a separate video conference from his official residence, 'Varsha'. The review meeting was attended by Deputy CM Sunetra Pawar, Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore, Minister of State for Finance and Planning Ashish Jaiswal, Additional Chief Secretary Ashwini Bhide, and other senior state officials.
Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, the Zilla Parishad CEO, and senior officials from the Public Works Department and police force joined the proceedings virtually, underscoring the coordinated approach to Pune's development planning.
