Pune: PCMC Drops Chikhali-Kudalwadi Town Planning Plan Amid Strong Opposition from Locals

Pimpri Chinchwad, 16th May 2025: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has withdrawn its proposed Town Planning (TP) scheme for Chikhali and Kudalwadi, following intense resistance from local residents and landowners.

The decision was formalized during the civic body’s general body meeting on Wednesday, where a resolution to cancel the Chikhali-Kudalwadi TP proposal was approved.

Prasad Gaikwad, Deputy Director of the PCMC Town Planning Department, confirmed the development. “The residents of Chikhali were firm in their opposition to the TP scheme. Respecting their concerns, the civic administration has chosen to drop the plan. The area will now be developed in accordance with the existing Development Plan (DP),” he stated.

While the TP plan for Chikhali has been shelved, PCMC has decided to proceed with five other proposed TP schemes in the Charholi region. These cover a total of 1,425 hectares, whereas the now-abandoned Chikhali plan was to span 380 hectares.

Last month, the civic body published a public notice in newspapers detailing its intention to implement six new TP schemes. However, the announcement sparked protests and criticism from locals and political representatives. Many landowners argued that they had already lost significant tracts of land to earlier projects by agencies like MIDC and PCNTDA, and the new TP initiative would have further diminished their holdings by allocating land for roads, gardens, and other public services.

A senior PCMC official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “Town planning projects are usually implemented with cooperation from landowners. Since there was overwhelming disapproval in Chikhali and Kudalwadi, moving forward without their consent was not feasible.”

The TP zone also included Kudalwadi, where PCMC recently conducted a massive demolition drive. Over 4,000 illegal industrial and scrap structures were razed earlier this year. Locals had alleged at the time that the demolition was linked to the civic body’s intent to clear space for the TP scheme. PCMC, however, maintained that the drive was part of its plan for systematic urban development.

One resident, who requested not to be named, said, “We have already sacrificed enough land for previous developments. The TP plan would have taken away even more, leaving us with barely anything to hold on to.”