BJP leader proposes division of Pune district

In what could be politically significant in the days to come in Maharashtra, the demand to bifurcate Pune district has come to the fore.

Pune is the eighth largest metropolis in India and is the second largest city in the state after Mumbai.

The district has a geographical area of 15,642 sq km.

A part of the Western Maharashtra region, Pune district is surrounded by Ahmednagar district on the north-east, Solapur district on the south-east, Satara district on the south, Raigad district on the west and Thane district on the north-west.

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The demand by BJP MLA Mahesh Landge comes ahead of the 2023 local bodies polls and in the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha polls.

Nestled in the Sahyadri ranges of Western Ghats, Pune is one of the biggest districts in the state comprising 14 tehsils -- Pune City, Haveli, Maval, Mulshi, Shirur, Baramati, Indapur, Daund, Bhor, Velha, Purandar, Khed, Junnar and Ambegaon.

The Pune district comprises two corporations -- Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).

Pune houses three cantonment boards -- Pune, Dehu Road and Khadki.

Within the district, the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) has jurisdiction of 7,256.46 sq km which include the PMC and PCMC, three cantonment boards, seven municipal councils, 13 census towns, and 842 villages.

Landge, who is an MLA from Bhosari, made the demand in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil, who is the Guardian Minister of Pune.

According to Landge, Pune is growing at a rapid pace. “At one point in time, Pimpri-Chinchwad was just a small town, however, now it has expanded and developed. Considering this, the state government should bifurcate Pune district, and create a separate district for Pimpri-Chinchwad and name it Shivneri district,” said Langde.

Incidentally, the Shivneri Fort is the birthplace of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the legendary Maratha warrior.

According to Landge, the creation of Shivneri district would bring greater convenience to the citizens and officials, facilitating faster decision-making and development in the region which contributes to the economy of the state.

In fact, Pimpri-Chinchwad is considered to be the sister city of Pune.