Pune civic body forms panel for Phule couple memorial expansion

Hindustan Times

26-04-2025

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has constituted a 14-member committee to oversee the land acquisition for the proposed integration and expansion of the Mahatma Phule Wada and Kranti Jyoti Savitribai Phule Memorial in the Mahatma Phule Peth area.
On Friday, PMC municipal commissioner Rajendra Bhosale issued an order regarding the same.
Apart from forming a committee, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has also set up a special squad to survey properties spread over 5,310 square meters of land located between and around the Mahatma Phule Wada and Savitribai Phule Memorial. These properties will be acquired for the expansion and integration of the two historic sites, said officials.
The squad includes 31 officials, with the assistant municipal commissioner of Bhavani Peth ward, Kisan Dagadkhair, appointed as the in-charge of the team.
The Maharashtra government has cleared the proposal through an official notification issued on February 7, paving the way for the ambitious heritage project.
As per the plan, approximately 5,310 sq m of land will be acquired under provisions of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning (MRTP) Act, while an additional 298 sq m is earmarked under Section 205 for road infrastructure development.
The area slated for acquisition lies adjacent to the memorials and will be reserved exclusively for the expansion and redevelopment of the historical premises associated with social reformers Mahatma Jyotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule.
The distance between the two memorials is around 300 meters. Most of the land in this stretch has existing structures that need to be acquired for building a road. This road is part of the development plan (DP) for Pune city.
The committee will be chaired by Avinash Sakpal, deputy commissioner of Zone 2, and will include representatives from PMC's departments of land acquisition, building construction, solid waste management, and property management, among others.
As part of its mandate, the panel will carry out ground-level surveys and inspections, hold consultations with affected residents, and provide guidance regarding the acquisition process. The committee will also collect inputs from residents on their preferred form of compensation—whether via Floor Space Index (FSI), cash settlement, or Transferable Development Rights (TDR).
Based on these consultations, the committee will prepare a detailed proposal and seek approvals from the municipal commissioner, the standing committee, and the general body before moving ahead with implementation.