Reported by Shoaib Tadvi
Punawale, 12th May 2026: Residents and housing societies in Punawale have strongly opposed a proposal to lease land reserved for a secondary school to a private organisation, demanding instead that the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) construct a modern public school on the site.
In a formal letter submitted to the PCMC Commissioner on May 11, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Co-operative Housing Societies Federation objected to the reported proposal to lease approximately 0.91 hectares (around 2 acres and 99 gunthas) of land in Survey Nos. 38 and 44 at Punawale to a private institution for 30 years. The land is currently reserved for a secondary school in the Development Plan (DP).
The federation stated that the proposal has created тАЬintense dissatisfactionтАЭ among local residents and housing societies, who fear that privatisation of the reserved land would affect access to affordable education in the rapidly developing suburb.
According to the letter, the federation also questioned the financial and public interest aspects of the proposal, alleging that the land тАФ considered highly valuable public property тАФ could be leased for a nominal amount of тВ╣7 crore for three decades.
The federation highlighted the increasing need for affordable and quality secondary education in Punawale due to the growing population and rapid expansion of residential housing societies in the area. It argued that if the school is developed by a private institution, the fee structure may become unaffordable for ordinary citizens.
Referring to PCMCтАЩs CBSE school project in Wakad as a successful example, the federation urged the civic body to develop a similar state-of-the-art municipal school in Punawale using its own funds.
The letter further alleged a lack of transparency in the decision-making process, claiming that local residents, housing society representatives and public representatives were not consulted before the proposal was considered. The federation demanded that public opinion be taken into account before any privatisation of the reserved public amenity space.
Among its key demands, the federation called for:
Immediate cancellation of the proposal to hand over the reserved land to a private organisation.
Construction of a modern secondary or CBSE school by PCMC.
Public disclosure of the tender and financial valuation process.
Organisation of a public hearing involving local citizens and parents.
The letter was signed by Sachin Londhe of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Co-operative Housing Societies Federation. Copies were also marked to the Chief MinisterтАЩs Office, the Mayor of PCMC and the Divisional CommissionerтАЩs Office in Pune.
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