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In a major step toward resolving civic infrastructure deficiencies in Pune's merged villages, Maharashtra's Urban Development Department has approved INR 5 crore for each of the 23 areas recently added to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Uruli-Phursungi Municipal Council. The funds are directed at fixing long-standing issues such as untreated waste, odour from garbage depots, unpaved roads and erratic water supply. Plans include scientific waste processing, drawing treated water from the Jambhulwadi reservoir, and reviving local staffing. The state has also introduced a property tax amnesty to ease the financial burden on residents.
The Maharashtra government has cleared an allocation of INR?5?crore each for 23 villages recently absorbed into the jurisdiction of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Uruli-Phursungi Municipal Council. The move, approved during a meeting chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister and overseen by the Urban Development Department (UDD), is aimed at accelerating essential infrastructure development in these peri-urban pockets. Advertisement
Officials were directed to prioritise solutions for the persistent civic problems that have plagued these areas for years. Among the most pressing is the stench from the garbage depot in Ambegaon Budruk, which locals have frequently flagged. Authorities are now expected to implement scientific waste management techniques such as vermicomposting and segregation pits to manage household and commercial waste in a decentralised and environmentally responsible manner.
In a parallel development, local leaders urged the state to utilise treated water from the Jambhulwadi reservoir, which holds approximately 65 million cubic feet, to cater to the daily needs of surrounding localities like Ambegaon Khurd, Ambegaon Budruk, Mangadewadi, Bhilarewadi, Koliwade and Gujar Nimbalkarvadi. These areas have faced repeated water shortages even after becoming part of PMC's administrative limits.
To improve public trust and ease financial strain, the state has approved an amnesty scheme allowing residents to pay old property tax dues without incurring penalties. Future tax slabs for these areas will now be aligned with UDD's revised recommendations, offering additional relief. The move follows widespread discontent among property owners, who had been paying city-level taxes without experiencing corresponding improvements in civic amenities.
Further, the status of 626 employees from the earlier gram panchayats, who had been left without roles post-merger due to technical employment overlaps, is under review. The government now plans to reintegrate them into municipal operations based on need, skillsets, and department vacancies.
These developments come in the wake of the 2020?21 PMC expansion, during which 23 adjoining villages were merged, adding nearly 150 square kilometres to Pune?s urban footprint. Despite the merger, residents continued to live with poor infrastructure, unpaved roads, insufficient streetlights, inadequate sewage systems, and erratic water supply. The newly sanctioned funds aim to correct this imbalance, ensuring that these areas receive the same quality of services as PMC?s core city zones.
Implementation will include regular audits and monitoring to ensure that the INR 5 crore per area is efficiently deployed toward roads, water pipelines, drainage systems, street lighting and sanitation improvements. Civic bodies have also been asked to fast-track planning permissions and coordinate with contractors to expedite project execution.
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