District Planning Committee Meeting Chaired by Deputy CM Ajit Pawar Approves ₹1,299 Crore Development Plan for 2025-26

Pune : A meeting of the District Planning Committee, chaired by Deputy Chief Minister and Pune District Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar, was held at Vidhan Bhavan. The meeting approved the draft plan for the 2025-26 District Annual Plan, including Scheduled Caste and Tribal Sub-Plans, with a total allocation of ₹1,299.58 crore. Additionally, an extra demand of ₹753 crore was sanctioned.

The meeting was attended by State Minister for Technical Education Chandrakant Patil, Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare Dattatraya Bharane, Minister of State for Urban Development Madhuri Misal, Deputy Chairperson of the Legislative Council Dr. Neelam Gorhe, MPs Dr. Medha Kulkarni, Sunetra Pawar, Supriya Sule, and several MLAs and officials from various departments, including Additional Chief Secretary V. Radha, Pune Divisional Commissioner Dr. Chandrakant Pulukundwar, Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, PMC Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale, PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh, District Collector Jitendra Dudi, and others.

Approved Allocations:

• District Annual Plan (General): ₹1,091.45 crore, with an additional demand of ₹700 crore.
• Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan: ₹145 crore.
• Tribal Sub-Plan: ₹63.13 crore, with an additional demand of ₹53.01 lakh.

Key Directives from Ajit Pawar

Integrated Tourism Development Plan:

Pune district has numerous historical sites, forts, religious landmarks, and memorials under conservation. Pawar emphasized the need to develop a comprehensive tourism development plan, supported by district planning funds and CSR contributions. The state tourism department will also be approached for additional funding.

Model Schools Initiative:

The Pune Model School project, covering 303 schools, will be implemented, with at least one major school in each taluka being upgraded in terms of infrastructure and quality education. Municipal corporations of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad were directed to submit development plans for their schools, with private NGOs encouraged to participate.

Pune Model Primary Health Centers (PHCs):

The “Pune Model PHC” initiative will be effectively implemented in 108 centers, with necessary funds allocated for renovations and upgrades.

Review of GBS Disease Cases:

Pawar reviewed the status of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) in Pune, with 129 cases reported. He instructed authorities to ensure adequate medical facilities in hospitals such as Kamla Nehru Hospital, YCM Hospital, and Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital.

Action Against Overcharging Hospitals:

PMC and PCMC hospitals were directed to maintain sufficient stock of medicines for GBS treatment. Private hospitals charging excessive fees for treatment will face strict action.

Additional Announcements

Minister Chandrakant Patil assured that issues related to central scholarships for SC/ST students are being pursued with the central government. The state’s 100% scholarship scheme for girls pursuing higher education is functioning smoothly.

District officials, including Collector Jitendra Dudi and CEO of the Zilla Parishad Gajanan Patil, presented the proposed budget allocations and development plans. Various MPs and MLAs provided additional recommendations.

Sector-Wise Allocation for 2025-26 (₹ Crore)

Additionally, an extra demand of ₹700 crore for the general plan and ₹53.01 crore for tribal schemes was approved.

The meeting also reviewed the expenditure and progress of the 2024-25 district annual plan until December 2024.