Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has waived 100% of additional development charges in the Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA) areas from July 2018 to April 2023, providing relief to builders and homeowners. The decision follows a proposal presented during the PMRDA annual budget meeting. Shinde also approved the PMRDA budget for 2023-24 and proposed the transfer of land for a memorial construction. The move aims to facilitate development and ease the financial burden on stakeholders in the region.
In a recent development, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Eknath Shinde has made a significant announcement that brings relief to builders and individual homeowners in the Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA) areas. During the PMRDA annual budget meeting held last week, a proposal was presented to waive 100% of additional development charges with retrospective effect from July 2018 to April 2023.
The PMRDA, which spans across a vast region of 6,000 square kilometres, had previously imposed an additional development charge of Rs332 crore on those who obtained permission to construct buildings in the area. This charge was intended to fund the Pune Metro Line 3 project, which connects Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar.
However, responding to the proposal, Chief Minister Shinde directed that the increased additional development charges be completely waived for the specified five-year period. This decision brings relief to builders and individual homeowners who were burdened with these charges. Additionally, the Chief Minister instructed the authorities to explore the possibility of implementing an additional development fee sector-wise, instead of applying it uniformly for the current year.
Under the Maharashtra Regional Town Planning Act, it was previously mandatory for citizens to pay additional development charges for vital transport projects. However, this recent decision by the Chief Minister exempts citizens from paying these charges in accordance with the Act. It is worth noting that similar waivers of double development charges for Metro projects have been observed in cities such as Nagpur and Thane.
In addition to the announcement regarding the waiver of development charges, the Chief Minister also approved the budget for the PMRDA for the fiscal year 2023-24, amounting to Rs1,926 crore. Furthermore, during the meeting, the authority proposed the transfer of 2.5 acres of land in Moshi, Pune, to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) for the construction of a memorial dedicated to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. The importance of timely submission of a Development Plan (DP) to the state before June 20 was emphasized during the meeting. The budget allocation for the upcoming year covers various aspects such as town planning schemes, infrastructure, housing, the Metro project, and the construction of the ring road.
Overall, the recent decision to waive 100% of additional development charges in the PMRDA areas for the specified period brings relief to builders and homeowners. The Chief Minister's approval of the PMRDA budget for the upcoming year and the proposal to transfer land for the construction of a memorial highlight the commitment to developmental projects in the region. The meeting also emphasized the need for timely submission of the DP to ensure efficient planning and execution of projects.
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