PMC appoints consultant for town planning scheme in Uruli Devachi, Phursungi

“A total of six bidders had applied for preparing the scheme for PMC but the Gujarat-based agency was shortlisted for quoting the lowest amount. It would be paid Rs 98.30 lakh as the consultant fee…” said Sunil Kamble, chairperson of the standing committee.

The scheme will involve 110 hectare of Uruli Devachi and 541 hectare of Phursungi. The Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) had urged the PMC to appoint a consultant.

The consultant will study existing land use and ownership of land through a survey of the area and prepare a scheme which will be sent to the state government for final approval.

As per the Union government, there should be expenditure of Rs 31.49 lakh to prepare a TP scheme involving 100 hectare. Accordingly, the total expenditure for preparing a town planning scheme for 651 hectare would be Rs 2.05 crore. The PMC will get Rs 2 crore from the Union government under the AMRUT scheme.

The PMC had earlier developed eight TP schemes between 1939 and 1989. The city has developed TP schemes in Deccan, Gultekdi, Parvati, Sangamwadi, Mangalwar Peth and Hadapsar Industrial Estate area.

Phursungi and Uruli Devachi were among the 11 villages merged in PMC in 2017 — it was earlier part of the PMRDA. The PMRDA had declared its intention to prepare TP schemes for Phursungi, Uruli Devachi, Autade-Handewadi, Wadki and Nimbalkarwadi villages and had received approval from the state government for the purpose.

The PMC had acquired the land at Uruli Devachi and Phursungi long ago for landfill sites but the pollution led to protests from villagers. The PMC later began capping of the landfill sites after a court order banning open dumping of waste.