PUNE: The state govt has passed an order making residential properties of the now-dissolved Pimpri-Chinchwad New Township Development Authority located in Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority freehold, which will allow more than 11,000 propery holders to become legal owners.
The state cabinet’s decision last week followed an assurance by industries minister Uday Samant in the monsoon session of assembly earlier this year.
An official from Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) said Pimpri-Chinchwad New Township Development Authority (PCNTDA) had given a large number of properties to people on a 99-year lease agreement between 1980 and 2010. “However, PCNTDA was dissolved in 2021 and around 85% of the leasehold properties were transferred to Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) while the remaining 15% were transferred to PMRDA.”
The authorities had constructed multiple four-storey buildings for workers and people from economically weaker sections in areas such as Bhosari, Chikhali and Nigdi. Even though most of these properties are within the PCMC limits, citizens will have to take a no-objection certificate from PMRDA for any work. They aslo face difficulties in taking loans from nationalised banks as they are not property owners as per documents.
“Similarly, these buildings could not go for redevelopment despite being located in prime areas due to complex procedures and technical problems,” another PMRDA official said, adding all these issues will now be resolved as the property holders can become owners once they have converted their properties into freehold by paying the required fee.
The state govt is yet to decide on converting the 85% of the leasehold properties transferred to PCMC from the PCNTDA limits into freehold.
Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge who had been following this matter with the state govt and also raised it in the assembly during the monsoon session, said, “This is the first step of success of our fight to make all PCNTDA properties freehold. We want a similar decision on properties within the PCMC limits as well so that it provides relief to over five lakh citizens.”
He clarified that the option to make properties freehold is optional and people, if they wish, can continue with the lease agreement.
A PMRDA official said there are around 8,000 plots that were transferred to PCMC and the number of property holders is huge as several housing societies were also built by private developers. “There must be around 75,000 to 80,000 property holders within the PCMC limits.”
