Pune: Rs 500 Crore Spent on Fursungi, Uruli Devachi; Development Plan To Be Revised for Remaining Nine Villages

Pune, 14th September 2024: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has invested approximately ₹500 crore in various development projects in the villages of Uruli Devachi and Fursungi. However, with both villages now forming an independent Municipal Council, concerns are being raised about the possible wastage of Pune residents’ tax money.

In the last five years alone, around ₹250 crore has been spent in these villages, with an additional ₹200 crore allocated since 2008 to address waste disposal issues. Furthermore, from a ₹392 crore Sewage Management Plan for 11 villages, ₹42 crore was earmarked for projects in Uruli Devachi and Fursungi. There were also plans to implement a Town Planning Scheme (TP Scheme) over 371 hectares in these areas. However, with the state government’s recent decision to establish an independent Municipal Council for these villages, much of this expenditure may go in vain.

The Urban Development Department has already issued a notification regarding the formation of the Municipal Council, sparking discontent among local citizens. Some residents have threatened to take the matter to court, arguing that the decision was made without considering the views of the villagers.

In light of the government’s decision, the PMC reviewed the total expenditure in these villages, revealing that over ₹500 crore has been spent in recent years, with some projects still ongoing or proposed.

Several prominent figures, including Ujjwal Keskar from the ‘Apale Pune’ organization, former opposition leader Suhas Kulkarni, and former corporator Prashant Badhe, have voiced their opposition to the creation of a Municipal Council for Uruli Devachi and Fursungi.

The PMC had prepared a TP Scheme for the villages and waived nearly ₹1,000 crore in betterment charges. Additionally, the property tax arrears from these two villages amount to ₹200 crore. With the exclusion of these villages from PMC’s jurisdiction, the corporation will now need to revise the development plan for the remaining nine villages. Keskar emphasized his opposition to the decision, citing the complications it would cause for the development of the other areas.