Any private individual or group of citizens can now develop a town planning scheme in the Pune civic areas.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has planned to approve all such schemes, provided they meet the parameters. “The civic administration wants to promote the idea of town planning (TP). So, not only the civic administration, private players can also plan their own TPs and execute them. The move aims at planned development and better civic infrastructure for residents,” said Vikram Kumar, the PMC administrator.
As per the PMC’s plan, private players should have at least 50 acres of land. Of the total land, 60% would be used for development and the remaining 40% would be reserved for amenities. The civic administration would provide facilities like roads, water supply and solid waste management to these TPs. Private players can develop other amenities. The civic administration would have given all these facilities even if these constructions would been carried out as individual properties.
“It is a very complex task to build civic infrastructure after the real estate is developed. If a TP scheme is approved, planned facilities like sewage lines, storm water drains, water pipelines and roads can be built. It will be easier for planners as well as for those giving land for TP schemes,” said Kumar.
Gardens, schools and public hospitals would also be developed in these areas.
“The issues of land acquisition and other problems can be resolved if private players are ready to come up with TP schemes. The civic administration, too, will benefit from this initiative as it will not have to utilise its resources at large scale and planned development will be done. But while doing so, the MRTP Act’s provisions must be followed,” said Ramchandra Gohad, a senior urban planner.
The state government has approved two town planning schemes at Uruli Devachi and Phursungi. These would be Pune’s first major TP schemes in 35 to 40 years.
The PMC and the Pune Metropolitan Region Authority (PMRDA) had declared three TP schemes around four years ago – two in Phursungi and one in Uruli Devachi. Finally, one scheme has been approved for each area. The one in Uruli Devachi would be on 110 hectares and the one in Phursungi would cover 261 hectares. The PMC officials said major land acquisition was not required for them.
According to the civic officials, Pune has played a pioneering role in developing TP schemes. During the British era, initiatives to implement TP schemes began as early as 1915. The city has eight major TP schemes, developed between 1939 and 1989. They came up in Deccan, Gultekdi, Parvati, Sangamwadi, Mangalwar Peth and the Hadapsar Industrial Estate area. But the schemes were halted in the last three-four decades.