Pune’s long-delayed Mahalunge–Maan Town Planning scheme may soon enter a new phase after the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) moved towards transferring project execution responsibilities to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The proposed administrative shift could revive one of western Pune’s most strategically important urban expansion corridors adjoining the Hinjewadi technology district. The Mahalunge–Maan Town Planning scheme, first introduced nearly eight years ago, was envisioned as a structured urban development model aimed at managing rapid growth around the city’s western edge. However, prolonged procedural delays, changing jurisdiction boundaries and repeated technical revisions slowed progress across the project area despite strong real estate demand and rising infrastructure pressure.
Officials familiar with the discussions indicated that the proposal to shift implementation responsibilities to PMC was recently reviewed during PMRDA’s budget deliberations. While formal approval from the Maharashtra government is still pending, the move is being viewed as an attempt to streamline governance after significant portions of the scheme area came under PMC limits following municipal boundary expansion. Spread across nearly 250 hectares in Mulshi taluka, the Mahalunge–Maan Town Planning scheme is based on a land pooling framework designed to support planned urbanisation while reducing the burden of direct land acquisition. Under the model, landowners contribute portions of their land for public infrastructure and receive reconstituted development plots in return. Urban planners say the project holds strategic significance because of its proximity to Pune’s largest employment centres, including Hinjewadi, Baner and Balewadi. The corridor has witnessed rapid residential and commercial construction over the past decade, but infrastructure delivery has remained fragmented due to unregulated expansion and inconsistent planning mechanisms.
Authorities have proposed an integrated network of wider roads, sewage systems, water pipelines, public amenities, green zones and organised residential layouts under the scheme. Experts argue that such planned development models are increasingly necessary in high-growth peri-urban regions where conventional infrastructure often struggles to keep pace with population growth. One of the major bottlenecks affecting implementation was recently addressed after the state urban development department approved modifications to the preliminary town planning proposal. The revised plan reportedly included updated flood-line assessments, technical infrastructure redesigns and changes to plot redistribution frameworks that had previously triggered arbitration and legal uncertainty.
The prolonged delay has created uncertainty for hundreds of landowners, developers and residents awaiting clarity on road alignment, development permissions and infrastructure execution timelines. Industry observers estimate the project affects close to 1,000 landowners and includes proposals for an extensive internal road network along with significant land reservations for civic amenities. Urban policy experts believe the success or failure of the Mahalunge–Maan Town Planning scheme could shape future planning approaches across Pune’s expanding metropolitan region. With western Pune continuing to emerge as a major technology and residential corridor, coordinated governance and timely infrastructure delivery are expected to become critical factors in ensuring sustainable and liveable urban growth.
