https://www.mypunepulse.compune-residents-allege-%E2%82%B9500-crore-amenity-land-in-mohammadwadi-undri-being-targeted-for-ppp-projects-amid-neglect-of-civic-issues
Pune: Residents Allege ₹500-Crore Amenity Land In Mohammadwadi Undri Being Targeted For PPP Projects Amid Neglect Of Civic Issues
Pune: Residents Allege ₹500-Crore Amenity Land In Mohammadwadi Undri Being Targeted For PPP Projects Amid Neglect Of Civic Issues
Pune, March 6, 2026: Public amenity plots in NIBM Annexe–Mohammadwadi, estimated by residents to be worth over ₹500 crore, have come under scrutiny following the recent civic elections, triggering strong allegations from housing societies and citizen forums that elected corporators are prioritising land monetisation over basic civic needs.
Residents from societies including Elina Living Society, Ganga Kingston, Gemini Park, and Kingston Atlantis allege that instead of addressing chronic local issues such as permanent water scarcity, frequent power cuts, dusty roads, lack of footpaths and absence of basic civic amenities, elected representatives have been “actively scouting” amenity lands for leasing under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
Details of Amenity Plots Under Concern
Residents shared the following details of amenity spaces:
Imperial Housing Society (Mohammadwadi)
Survey No. 38
2B + 3A/2
2B + 3A/3
Total area: 1,462.73 sq m
Gemini Housing Society ( Mohammadwadi )
Survey No. 36
Hissa No. 4 + 5 A + B/6
Total area: 134,660 sq m
Ganga Kingston (Mohammadwadi)
Survey No. 39
Hissa No. 13B–14/1
13B & 14/2
13B & 14/3
13B & 14/4
Total area: 31 R and 2,594 sq m
Residents claim that these plots, originally earmarked for community welfare under development plans, are now being considered for lease to private entities under PPP arrangements.
“Social service is never there, only self-service”: Shashikant Mehendale
Civic activist Shashikant Mehendale launched a sharp attack on the civic administration and corporators.“The entire game of the corporators is to earn from tax-paying citizens by leasing out the amenity spaces to private entities for profit getting heavy commissions. Social service is never there, but self-service. Amenity spaces have suddenly become the top priority — not the tears and daily civic troubles faced by residents. Instead of solving water shortages and infrastructure failures, there is a rush to monetise public land.”
He added: “These spaces must be converted into urban parks and public health facilities like Sassoon General Hospital, where affordable treatment is available — not corporate hospitals meant for profit. We are facing a climate crisis. We need more trees, more gardens and open breathing spaces, not commercial projects disguised as amenities. Pune cannot sacrifice its environment for private profit.”
“Robbing public assets in the name of PPP”: NIBM annexe resident Minoo Irani
Minoo Irani said, “What we are witnessing is the systematic takeover of citizen public amenity spaces in the name of the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. In areas like Mohammadwadi and NIBM Annex, residents are increasingly worried that open spaces meant for public use are being quietly diverted to private interests. Gardens, playgrounds and reservation plots that belong to citizens are slowly being handed over under the guise of development. This amounts to robbing public assets in the name of PPP.”
She added: “This is just the tip of the iceberg. Many corporators themselves have deep interests in real estate, and that appears to be their top priority while citizens continue to suffer. At a time of climate crisis, when cities desperately need more gardens and green lungs, proposals for profit-driven projects are being pushed. The manner in which the PPP model is being implemented will lead to the complete weakening and eventual failure of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) . Instead of safeguarding public land, the administration appears focused on monetising it. There is a growing perception among citizens that transparency is lacking and that powerful private interests are being favoured. If this continues, Pune risks losing its open spaces and its civic soul.”
Ganga Kingston Residents Allege Intimidation
The issue intensified after an alleged intimidation incident reported on February 19, 2026, at Ganga Kingston Housing Society in Mohammadwadi. Residents claim that four unidentified men arrived outside the society gate, shouted at residents and questioned why they were “guarding” the nearly one-acre amenity plot. One of the men allegedly claimed to be a corporator and demanded that society office-bearers be summoned.
The amenity plot, covered with trees, has reportedly been protected by residents for years. Residents say they planted over 200 trees to prevent encroachment and preserve it as open community land.
Daljeet Goraya, Secretary of Ganga Kingston Society, said: “This is not the first attempt. In the past too, former elected representatives tried to interfere with our amenity space. We have filed complaints with the police and with the PMC. It is deeply disturbing that the very people who seek our votes are now linked, directly or indirectly, to attempts to take possession of land meant for the community. Our society has nurtured this space by planting trees and protecting it from encroachment. We will not allow intimidation to override citizens’ rights.”
Residents alleged that “goons posing as fronts of corporators” attempted to create fear and pressure the society into surrendering control of the plot.
Social activist Jaymala Dhankikar said “The manner in which amenity spaces in Mohammadwadi and NIBM Annexe are being eyed after elections raises serious concerns. These lands were reserved for the welfare of residents — for parks, playgrounds, community spaces and essential public facilities. Instead of resolving chronic issues like water scarcity, broken roads and lack of footpaths, there seems to be an unusual urgency to push PPP projects on high-value plots. Citizens are asking: who truly benefits from this model? The public or a select few private players?”
She added: “If public consultation is bypassed and decisions are taken behind closed doors, it erodes trust in governance. Amenity spaces are not commercial assets to be traded — they are social assets meant to improve quality of life. In a fast-concretising city like Pune, we should be expanding green cover, not shrinking it. The PMC must ensure transparency, mandatory stakeholder consultation and protection of every square metre reserved for public use.”
Citizen Forums Demand Mandatory Consultation
The Mohammadwadi Undri Residents Welfare Development Foundation (MURWDF) and other housing societies have submitted a detailed representation to PMC Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, demanding compulsory consultation with local stakeholders before any amenity plot is allocated, leased or its land use altered.
The groups have sought:
- Mandatory consultation with adjoining cooperative housing societies
- Written No Objection Certificates (NOCs) before any allocation
- Recognition of the “first right” of local societies to propose community-oriented use
- Transparent public hearings
- No unilateral decisions by the corporator-led Amenity Space Allocation Committee
“A joke in the name of development”: Sunil Aiyer
Sunil Aiyer, Director of MURWDF, said: “A joke in the name of development is being played on tax-paying citizens of Pune who have invested their hard-earned savings into homes here. For over 20 years in Undri, we have seen relentless construction, but spaces earmarked for elderly citizens, children and community recreation are being cleverly diverted for commercial uses under broad interpretations of what qualifies as an ‘amenity space’.”
He added:“A huge and growing population has no accessible green spaces for recreation or relaxation. Instead, vested interests continue to corner these plots for personal gains. Every developing locality must have genuine amenity spaces for the elderly and for those who cannot afford private clubs or gated luxuries. Some plots may certainly be used for public hospitals to serve the growing population — but not corporate healthcare designed purely for profit. Planners, lawmakers and administrators must work for the benefit of the people, not their own pockets. The gap between the haves and have-nots widens each year because of narrow and selfish governance.”
Residents across Mohammadwadi and NIBM Annexe maintain that while the area may be among Pune’s wealthiest in property value, it remains “one of the poorest in terms of environment, public gardens and civic infrastructure.”
With tensions rising, citizen groups have vowed to continue legal and civic action to prevent what they describe as the “commercial capture” of public amenity lands.
posted by DOMNIC @ March 07, 2026
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