Curation Team
PUNE: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation officially cancelled the proposed town planning (TP) schemes for Charholi on Wednesday, following a directive from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to the civic administration to withdraw the plan in the light of strong opposition from residents.
Civic officials said the proposal to cancel the TP schemes was approved in the general body meeting by municipal commissioner and administrator Shekhar Singh on Wednesday. “Town planning schemes are meant for planned development. When landowners themselves are opposing it, it is not appropriate to proceed,” a Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) official said.
Fadnavis had said during his visit to the city on Wednesday, “The govt will not implement any project without taking people into confidence.” He emphasised the importance of inclusive planning, particularly in a rapidly growing city like Pimpri Chinchwad, where development needs to be envisioned with a 50-year perspective.
Residents argued that they lost a significant portion of land for various development works under the Development Plan (DP). They claimed that the new TP schemes would further reduce their landholding. Local political leaders also opposed the plan, pointing out that similar schemes had not been very successful in other parts of the state and could delay the development in Charholi.
“A revised draft of the DP for Pimpri Chinchwad has been published. It includes reservation for several amenities in the Charholi and Chikhali areas. Hence, a separate TP scheme was not needed,” said a resident.
Earlier, PCMC proposed five TP schemes in Charholi, spanning over 1,425 hectares. A strong resistance from residents, including a call for a “bandh” and a dramatic protest where residents climbed up a water tank, prompted the civic body to initially pause the scheme. The demand for a permanent cancellation of the schemes led to the final decision announced on Wednesday. A similar TP scheme proposed for the Chikhali area over 380 hectares was also cancelled following opposition from residents.
