MHADA in talks with sugar co-op to buy 150 acres in Pune district

“The plot is owned by a cooperative society,which is in the process of setting up a sugar factory there. They have expressed interest in selling the plot to MHADA after the factory is set up. We have given a letter to them in this regard,” said Satish Gavai,chief executive of MHADA.

He said MHADA would pay the society market price — about Rs 400 crore.

Separately,the housing board,which lacks expertise as a special planning authority, has sought a few planners from the state urban development department.

“As a special planning authority,we will have to create a development plan for the area,take over maintenance and so on. It is not an easy task,” Gavai said.

MHADA has already acquired four plots in Pune,four in Nagpur and a couple in Nashik. During 2012-13,it spent Rs 220 crore on land acquisition.

Earlier this year,MHADA inked a Rs 103-crore deal with Hindustan Antibiotics Limited for a six-acre plot in Pimpri.

“We have purchased 50-60 hectares across the state,which can give us 8,000-10,000 houses,” Gavai said.

MHADA has kept aside Rs 2,411 crore to construct affordable houses and acquire land (Rs 750 crore) during 2013-14.