Maharashtra state government permits merger of 28 villages in Pune Municipal Corporation

Maharashtra state government permits merger of 28 villages in Pune Municipal Corporation 

The State government has taken a decision to merge 28 new villages into the Pune Municipal Corporation’s limits even as the civic body dithered on the issue.

The State urban development department’s nod to allow the merger of the 28 villages has enabled the PMC to become the biggest civic body in the state, in terms of area.

According to the State government’s notification, the 28 villages that would be included within the PMC limit include 

Mahalunge, Sus, Bavdhan Budruk, Kirkatwadi, Pisoli, Lohegaon, Kondhwe Dhavade, Kopare, Nande, Khadakwasla, Shivane (Uttamnagar), Hadapsar (Sadesatra Nali), Mundhwa, Manjari, Narhe, Shivane, Ambegaon Khurd, Undri, Dhyari, Ambegaon Budruk, Uruli Devachi, Mantarwadi, Holkarwadi, Authade (Handewadi), Vadachi wadi, Shewalewadi, Phursungi and Yeolewadi.

The State government had published the notification on October 11 and sought suggestions and objections within a month .

The resolution to merge the villages was pending with the law committee of the PMC. Political parties differed on the issue.

As the PMC dithered, the State’s urban development department bypassed them and took the decision to merge the villages.

Municipal Commissioner Mahesh Pathak welcomed the decision saying,” If political leaders do not take a decision in time, naturally the state government will take a decision on the issues related to development.”

The Bhartiya Janata Party and Nationalist Congress Party welcomed the decision and sought funds to establish basic infrastructure in these villages.

BENEFITS FROM MERGER

As Uruli Devachi and Phursungi are going to be part of PMC, there will no longer be any bitterness between the PMC and villagers. The garbage depot will now come under the PMC. In the past, the villagers had protested that the city’s filth was being dumped at their door steps. n The merger will also benefit the PMC as most warehouses are located in these villages and as they were outside the PMC limit, no octroi was levied on goods arriving there. Henceforth, the PMC can levy octroi, earning much needed revenue. 

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