Pune: The PMRDA has issued a formal notification cancelling its draft development plan (DP) of Aug 2021, officials told TOI on Friday. When asked, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) commissioner Yogesh Mhase confirmed that he had signed the notification, which was sent to the govt press for publication in the state gazette. The cancellation was earlier approved by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in April, and Bombay high court later disposed of petitions challenging the draft. However, the authority was awaiting the official notification to bring the process to a close. The 2021 draft DP, which outlined a 20-year roadmap for the development of PMR, was released amid high expectations but soon ran into controversy. Thousands of objections were raised over land use proposals and reservations, while HC also halted its implementation at one stage. The state eventually directed PMRDA to scrap the plan and prepare a fresh version. Mhase said that until a new draft is prepared, the existing Regional Plan will remain the basis for granting building permissions. He added that a structural plan focusing on roads and major reservations in the near future is expected to be released soon. Town planners are expecting that the new draft DP will be prepared afresh to reflect present-day needs, including rapid urbanisation, transport corridors, and infrastructure gaps. The new plan is expected to address concerns highlighted by citizens and planners during the previous exercise.
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