While the Maharashtra government expresses its willingness to incorporate seven villages into the jurisdiction of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), two of these villages, Marunje and Gahunje, have vocally opposed the proposal.
Apart from Marunje and Gahunje, the other border villages that the PCMC seeks to encompass within its limits are Jambhe, Hinjewadi, Maan, Nere, and Sangawde.
Marunje, which has witnessed substantial development in recent years, stands against this move. Ishwar Buchade, the sarpanch of Marunje village, articulated, “We have established essential amenities and witnessed remarkable growth. Given this scenario, why should we be incorporated into the civic limits? We desire to remain independent.”
Buchade highlighted that the Marunje gram panchayat had previously passed a resolution opposing such an inclusion, and a similar resolution was reasserted on Tuesday. “In today’s gram sabha meeting, attended by 13 members, we unanimously passed a resolution against our village’s merger with the PCMC,” he stated.
The initiative to integrate these seven villages within PCMC’s jurisdiction gained momentum after MP Shrirang Barne met Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Barne urged Shinde to approve the proposal for these incorporations, citing the need for accelerated development and urbanization in these regions.
Barne noted that Hinjewadi hosts an IT park, Gahunje boasts an international cricket stadium, and other villages have experienced rapid urbanization. He emphasized that the PCMC would enable the fulfillment of residents’ aspirations and contribute to planned development while boosting revenue.
However, Kuldeep Bodke, sarpanch of Gahunje village, countered that around 80% of development work in his village has been accomplished by the zilla parishad. He questioned the necessity for inclusion within PCMC’s limits when current development efforts are progressing well.
Avinash Gaikwad, leader of the Vividh Karyakari Society in Jambhe village, voiced his support for PCMC inclusion, citing the lack of development initiatives from the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority and zilla parishad in his region.
According to the 2011 census, the total population of these seven villages ranged from 18,000 to 20,000. However, local residents contend that the population has significantly surged over the past 12 years. Buchade emphasized Marunje village’s transformation from a population of 2,024 in 2011 to an estimated one lakh people today.
