Residents of Bibvewadi are up in arms against the Maharashtra state government, accusing it of playing favorites with developers. The government has allegedly converted certain Hill Top/Hill Slope plots into residential areas, benefiting bigwigs and developers while leaving poor and middle-class housing in restricted zones.
The Hill Top/Hill Slope reservation prohibits new construction on designated plots, making existing structures illegal. Despite protests, the government has decided to move forward with these changes, causing controversy in the community.
The Pune Development Plan of 1987 originally designated much of Bibvewadi as Hill Top/Hill Slope, but the decision to enforce these restrictions was postponed in 2018 due to public outcry. However, in 2023, the Pune Municipal Corporation approved the removal of 11 plots from the Hill Top/Hill Slope designation, paving the way for development.
These plots, owned by influential figures like Sanjay Bafna and companies linked to developer Sachin Ishwar Chand Goyal, have a combined development potential of over Rs 2,100 crore. Residents suspect that two more plots owned by Mukesh Yeole and Sanjay Shah will also be de-reserved, adding hundreds of crores to the development potential.
Local residents argue that the government is showing clear favoritism towards wealthy developers, while burdening them with high property taxes and the threat of demolition for living in Hill Top/Hill Slope areas. They feel targeted by the PMC, while developers’ plots are being reclassified as residential zones without issue.
This perceived bias and injustice have sparked outrage among residents, who believe that the government’s actions are benefiting the elite at the expense of the common people. The controversy continues to escalate as the community fights for fair treatment and transparency in land development decisions.
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