Pune, the erstwhile home and centre of power of the Marathas, has officially become Maharashtra’s largest city after the state government added 23 new villages to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The decision comes before the Pune municipal polls next year.
The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has 440 sq km area, making Mumbai the second biggest city in the state after Pune.
With its new urban city limits, Pune has now become the seventh largest city in India, with the geographical area of 516.18 sq km (from 331 sq km). This development has also pushed Mumbai to the eighth spot in the country.
The population of Pune is around 62 lakh, as per the FY21 presentation made by the PMC Commissioner. Pune has five zones, 15 wards and 42 divisions.
The state government had first announced its intent to include 34 villages in PMC limits way in 2014.
The PMC, the largest civic body in the state in terms of area, has an estimated budget of Rs 8,370 crore for FY22. The estimated annual budget for MCGM is Rs 39,038 crore for FY22.
After notifying it in December 2020, the State Urban Development Department has now added 23 adjoining villages in PMC’s limits. These are Autade-Handewadi, Bavdhan Bhilarewadi, Budruk, Gujar Nimbalkarwadi, Jambhulwadi, Holkarwadi, Khadakwasla, Kirkatwadi, Kolewadi, Kondhwe-Dhawade, Kopre, Mangdewadi, Manjari Budhruk, Mhalunge, Sus, Nanded, Nandoshi, Narhe, Pisoli, Sanasnagar, Shewalewadi, Wadachiwadi and Wagholi.
The 11 villages that were included in 2017 were Ambegaon Budruk, Ambegaon Khurd, Dhayari, Hadapsar, Lohegaon, Mundhwa, Shivane, Undri, Phursungi, Urli Devachi and Uttamnagar.
Pune’s official website says the city leads as the “veritable heartland” of cultural Maharashtra, adding that Pune also has made its mark as an educational epicentre (811 higher educational institutions) winning itself the sobriquet, ‘The Oxford of the East’.
Pune is known as the two-wheeler capital of India with 30.47 lakh two-wheelers. It has 10.89 lakh four-wheelers out of a total of 41.36 lakh vehicles as of CY2020.
(Edited by : Shoma Bhattacharjee)