‘Not possible to delay now’: Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil says Pune needs 2 municipal corporations

Chandrakant Patil, an MLA from Kothrud, said that the area under the Pune Municipal Corporation’s jurisdiction has increased now.

Maharashtra minister Chandrakant Patil said on Tuesday that Pune requires two municipal corporations, adding that “it is not possible to delay (such a move) now”. Patil, the Kothrud MLA, had expressed a similar opinion in 2022.

“Keeping in mind the increasing area under Pune, two municipal corporations are necessary for the city. A delay in creating two independent municipal corporations will not work. The decision regarding the merger of cantonment boards should also be taken in haste,” Patil, the state Higher and Technical Education Minister, said at an event by the Pune Shramik Patrakar Sangh on Tuesday.

“Political, social, and geographical issues are bundled in this topic and they will have to be kept in mind while carrying out the division. Although the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) is present in the city, it is not a municipal corporation. Therefore, it is not possible to delay the creation of two separate municipal corporations now…The question of naming the two parts will be important. Pune is also a historical city,” the BJP leader added.

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Patil said that the Mahayuti had got a majority in the state and now that cabinet ministers have been decided, government work will begin in January and this issue will be taken up on priority. “It is possible municipal elections may take place in April-May so this issue cannot be delayed,” said Patil.

The event was attended by various Pune MLAs and ministers.

NCP MLA from Hadapsar, Chetan Tupe, agreed with Patil’s view. “Due to the addition of villages and the increasing population, the PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) has come under stress. Two independent municipal corporations divided as east and west will have to be created,” Tupe said.

In 2022, Patil had expressed a similar view, saying, “The geographical area under PMC has increased after the merger of 23 new villages last year. It is one of the largest civic bodies, considering its geographical area…There is a need to split PMC into two municipal corporations…”.

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