State Cabinet Minister Uday Samant Assures Freehold Decision for Pimpri-Chinchwad Properties After Review
State Cabinet Minister Uday Samant Assures Freehold Decision for Pimpri-Chinchwad Properties After Review
State Cabinet Minister Uday Samant has assured that the state government will not suffer any financial loss. He announced in the Vidhan Sabha that a decision regarding the ‘freehold’ of properties within the Pimpri-Chinchwad New Town Development Authority (PCNTDA) limits will be made after thorough examination.
During the monsoon session of the State Legislature in Mumbai, BJP MLA Mahesh Landge highlighted the need to convert a total of 97,414 properties in the PCNTDA to freehold. Minister Samant assured the residents that their concerns would be addressed.
MLA Landge explained that the PCNTDA was established in 1972 to acquire, develop, and distribute land to laborers and economically weaker sections. The government gained revenue from the highest bids at auctions based on the ready reckoner rates of the time, fulfilling the authority’s purpose. In 2021, the PCNTDA was merged with the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA), and the developed properties were handed over to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) for maintenance and repair.
Landge also pointed out several issues faced by property owners, including the lack of ‘Building Completion Certificates’ due to the authority’s cumbersome processes, exorbitant property transfer fees, and complex heir registration procedures. Most societies lack convenience deeds, preventing the redevelopment of 30-year-old societies. Furthermore, these properties do not appear as ‘Title Clear’ in legal searches, making it difficult for owners to obtain loans from nationalized banks. He emphasized that 97,414 property owners are experiencing mental agony due to these issues. The state government’s positive stance on this matter is expected to provide relief to around 500,000 citizens within the authority’s jurisdiction.
“If the ‘freehold’ status of properties within the limits of the Pimpri-Chinchwad New Town Development Authority is granted, it will not financially burden the municipality, PMRDA, or the state government. The PCNTDA has been merged with PMRDA, and developed properties are now classified under PCMC. PCMC currently receives about 100 crores in revenue from these properties, along with subsidies from the central and state governments, property tax, and other revenue sources. Therefore, converting these properties to freehold will increase revenue, and this issue will certainly be resolved positively.”
– Mahesh Landge, MLA, Bhosari Assembly, BJP, Pimpri-Chinchwad.
