Pune: Bibvewadi residents have staged a protest against the state government's decision to convert some Hill Top/ Hill Slope plots into residential plots, alleging that the government is siding with developers and large landowners.
This decision, they claim, only benefits areas owned by developers and land banks, while plots with homes belonging to the poor and middle class remain classified as Hill Top/ Hill Slope areas.
Hill Top/ Hill Slope reservations make it impossible to construct any new buildings on these plots, and existing structures are deemed illegal. Much of Bibwewadi’s land was included in the Hill Top/ Hill Slope area in the 1987 Pune Development Plan.
With many constructions, primarily slums, already existing on these lands, the issue has garnered significant attention in recent days. In 2018, the enforcement of Hill Top/ Hill Slope regulations was put on hold due to growing protests.
The current controversy arose when the state government, in 2023, sought the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) opinion on lifting reservations on 11 such plots owned by major stakeholders and developers. Then PMC Commissioner Vikram Kumar gave a favorable opinion for removing selected plots from the Hill Top/ Hill Slope area.
Based on this opinion, the state government recently issued an order calling for objections and suggestions regarding the cancellation of reservations on three central Hill Top/ Hill Slope plots owned by Sanjay Bafna.
According to land records, these plots were sold to companies run by developer Sachin Ishwarchand Goyal. These seven-acre plots have a development potential worth ₹2,100 crore.
Additionally, it is understood that two more plots owned by Mukesh Yewale and Sanjay Shah are also in the process of being removed from the Hill Top/ Hill Slope category. These plots have a combined development potential exceeding hundreds of crores.
Residents in the area argue that while their homes on Hill Top/ Hill Slope plots are targeted and declared illegal, the government’s actions seem biased towards wealthy developers and landowners.
This comes at a time when constructions in Hill Top/ Hill Slope areas are considered illegal, and residents are often forced to pay three times the regular property tax. Moreover, reserved plots surrounded by slums and homes are still classified as Hill Top/ Hill Slope.
Local residents claim that the PMC frequently targets their homes under this pretext, whereas large developer-owned plots are being de-reserved and converted into residential plots.
