The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has proposed that areas closer to the third Metro line should be charged 100% additional development charges while those in interior areas should be charged either 75% or 50%, depending on their growth potential.The changes proposed will impact 23 merged villages near the Metro line where the charges will be 1% instead of 0.5%, while for the interior areas the authority has proposed reduction in charges.
The 23km third Metro line is being implemented by the PMRDA through a public private partnership mode from Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar. Senior officials said that the proposal has been sent to the Urban Development Department (UDD) for final approval.
“Under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act (MRTP), the local authority is allowed to charge 100% additional development charges to fund vital urban transport projects, which includes the Metro. However, we have proposed that areas closer to the Metro line should be charged 100% while those little farther away should be charged less,” said a senior PMRDA official.
The official further added that the proposal sent to the government four months ago may require amendment of the act as recommendation has been made for reducing additional development charges. The proposal to reduce the charges has been placed following a meeting held by chief minister Eknath Shinde in May this year.
For areas closer to the Metro, the additional development charges would be 1% followed by 0.875% for growth centres. For interior areas, it would be 0.75%, said the official. Chief minister Eknath Shinde had directed the PMRDA to submit a sector-wise revised plan to collect additional development charges for infrastructure projects in the area from May 2023. Earlier, the CM had waived 100% development charges retrospectively from July 2018 to April 2023.
According to the PMRDA officials, an additional development charge of Rs332cr was supposed to be recovered from those who received permission to construct buildings in the region due to the announcement of the Pune Metro line 3 from Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar.
The act permits the PMRDA to collect 100% additional development charges imposed on construction.
Builders had opposed the blanket charges, pointing out that a reduction in charges, depending on the area, would be beneficial. Similar initiatives to impose double development charges for Metro projects were waived in Nagpur and Thane.
Credai Pune Metro president Ranjit Naiknavare said that if the government were to impose additional development charges, it would burden homebuyers and they should do a rethink and restrict the charges to only the affected areas and that, too, if necessary.
