Rs1,032cr draft district plan gets nod, officials seek Rs700cr more

Pune: The District Planning and Development Council (DPDC) on Thursday approved a draft annual plan of Rs1,032.88 crore for the district for 2026-27. The Pune district administration sought an additional Rs700 crore from the state government to carry out priority development works.
Deputy chief minister and district guardian minister Sunetra Pawar, who chaired the meeting via video conference from Mumbai, said the draft plan focuses on rural development, transport, non-conventional energy, urban and health infrastructure, women and child empowerment, skill-based employment generation, education infrastructure, sports and arts development. As per the draft plan, Rs135 crore has been allocated for rural development, Rs115 crore for transport development, Rs116.25 crore for urban infrastructure, Rs80 crore for non-conventional energy, Rs56.86 crore for tourism, Rs40 crore for Green Maharashtra initiatives, Rs110.71 crore for health infrastructure, Rs29.44 crore for women and child empowerment, Rs78.50 crore for governance reforms, Rs10.5 crore for skill-based employment generation, Rs100 crore for education infrastructure, and Rs10.1 crore for sports and arts development. Though the state govt fixed a financial ceiling of Rs1,032.88 crore for Pune district for 2026-27, various departments submitted demands worth Rs3,128 crore. After scrutiny, only priority projects essential for overall district development were included in the draft plan, Pawar said, adding that a proposal seeking an additional Rs700 crore will be submitted to the state govt. The deputy CM's sister-in-law and Baramati MP Supriya Sule also participated in the meeting via video conference from Delhi. During the session, she suggested scheduling future meetings when Parliament is not in session to allow MPs to attend in person.During the meeting, Pawar directed officials to prioritise large, high-impact projects over fragmented works, with a specific emphasis on backward and remote areas. She also issued a strict directive to departments to adhere to timelines for administrative approvals, tendering, and project execution. The council also reviewed expenditure of Rs1,589.46 crore under the 2025-26 plan, which includes Rs1,379 crore under the general plan, Rs145 crore for the scheduled caste sub-plan, and Rs65.46 crore under the tribal component. Stressing the need for discipline and quality, Pawar called for timely utilisation of funds in line with the principles established by her late husband Ajit Pawar. A detailed in-person review meeting is scheduled for April. District collector Jitendra Dudi presented the 2025-26 expenditure report and outlined the 2026-27 focus areas, which include boosting agricultural growth and farm income through allied sectors, water and soil conservation, and groundwater augmentation. Several ministers, MPs, and MLAs present at the meeting also offered suggestions for local development works. This was the first DPC meeting held after the demise of Ajit Pawar in a plane crash on Jan 28. The members of the committee observed a minute of silence in memory of late NCP chief. CM REVIEWS PLANChief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds the finance portfolio, on Thursday reviewed Pune's draft district annual Plan for 2026-27 via video conference from his official residence, 'Varsha'. Deputy CM and Pune district guardian Minister Sunetra Pawar, rural development minister Jaykumar Gore, minister of state for finance and planning Ashish Jaiswal, additional chief secretary Ashwini Bhide, and other senior officials attended the meeting. Pune mayor Manjusha Nagpure, district collector Jitendra Dudi, the zilla parishad CEO, and senior PWD and police officials joined the proceedings virtually.(With inputs from Anurag Bende)