PUNE: The Pune district planning and development committee (DPDC), chaired by deputy chief minister and guardian minister Sunetra Pawar, on Wednesday approved a draft annual plan of ₹1,032.88 crore for the financial year 2026–27 and decided to seek an additional ₹700 crore from the state government to meet priority development needs.
The meeting was chaired for the first time by Pawar following her assumption of office earlier this month, with MP Supriya Sule also in attendance. Pawar joined the session virtually via video conference and addressed the members from Mumbai.
Pawar said the proposed draft plan focuses on rural development, transport, non-conventional energy, urban infrastructure, health facilities, women and child empowerment, education, skill development, sports and cultural activities. Of the proposed allocation, ₹135 crore has been earmarked for rural development, ₹115 crore for transport development, ₹116.25 crore for urban infrastructure, ₹80 crore for non-conventional energy, ₹56.86 crore for tourism, ₹40 crore for Green Maharashtra initiatives, ₹110.71 crore for health infrastructure, ₹29.44 crore for women and child empowerment, ₹78.50 crore for administrative reforms, ₹10.5 crore for skill-based employment generation, ₹100 crore for education-related infrastructure, and ₹10.1 crore for sports and cultural development.
Although the state government has fixed a financial ceiling of ₹1,032.88 crore for Pune district for 2026–27, demands amounting to ₹3,128 crore were received from various departments. After scrutiny, priority projects essential for the district’s overall development have been included in the draft plan. Following this process, a proposal seeking an additional ₹700 crore will be submitted to the state government.
Pawar instructed officials to prioritise large, impactful projects instead of fragmented works so that more citizens benefit. She also directed that special attention be given to backward and remote areas, and that strict timelines be fixed and followed for administrative approvals, tendering and execution of projects.
“…The development of Pune district should be more dynamic, transparent, and effective; for this purpose, without compromising on quality, with a sense of responsibility, and keeping the expectations of the people at the centre, we will move forward,” said Pawar in a post later.
The meeting also reviewed expenditure of ₹1,589.46 crore approved for 2025–26, which includes ₹1,379 crore under the general plan, ₹145 crore for the Scheduled Caste sub-plan, and ₹65.46 crore under the tribal sub-plan. Pawar stressed the need for timely and planned utilisation of funds and added that a detailed review meeting would be held in April with her physical presence.
District collector Jitendra Dudi made a presentation on expenditure during 2025–26 and outlined priorities for the 2026–27 plan, with emphasis on agriculture-linked allied sectors, water conservation, soil conservation, groundwater recharge, fair pricing, healthy competition and open markets to boost agricultural growth and per capita farm income.
The meeting was attended by agriculture minister Dattatray Bharane, urban development minister of state Madhuri Misal, legislative council deputy chairperson Neelam Gorhe, several MLAs, Pune mayor Manjusha Nagpure, divisional commissioner Chandrakant Pulkundwar, Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal commissioner Shravan Hardikar, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) chief executive officer Yogesh Mhase, and senior civic, police and district officials. Higher and technical education minister Chandrakant Patil, MP Amol Kolhe and other senior leaders also attended the meeting virtually.
