Pune SRA ‘Slum-Like’ Approvals: Ex-Opposition Leaders Allege Rs 1,000 Crore TDR, Seek SRA Powers for PMC

Pune, 9th November 2026: Two former leaders of the opposition in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Ujjwal Keskar and Suhas Kulkarni, have asked that the powers of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) be handed over to the PMC. They allege the Pune SRA has generated Transferable Development Rights (TDR) worth at least Rs 1,000 crore through “slum-like” declarations.

The claims are allegations made in a letter to Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram. The SRA has not publicly responded.

What the former corporators are asking for

According to The Free Press Journal, the letter asks the commissioner to:

• Immediately stay all proposals under the “slum-like” category
• Order a full inquiry into how the Pune SRA works
• Formally request Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to transfer SRA powers to the PMC

Keskar said they have already filed a petition in the High Court against the Pune SRA and may file a separate public interest litigation. They plan to give the commissioner data on declared slums, along with a survey by the organisation MASHAL.

What “slum-like” status means, and why it matters

Under slum rehabilitation rules, a developer who rehouses slum dwellers free of cost gets extra floor space (FSI) and TDR, which can be sold or used elsewhere in the city. Slum projects also get concessions on civic charges.

Keskar alleges that old wadas, chawls and even land reserved in the city’s development plan are being labelled “slum-like” to get these benefits. He claims:

• The PMC loses about Rs 3.84 crore in development charges on a roughly 10,000 sq ft plot declared this way.
• Developers get a 10-year property tax exemption on such projects.
• Under the rules, 20 per cent SRA TDR must be loaded on projects, which he says rewards such declarations even where no real slum exists.

He also alleged that similar practices are happening in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Not the first complaint

In May this year, Keskar, Kulkarni and former corporator Prashant Badhe wrote a similar letter to the commissioner, The Free Press Journal reported. They said reports from PMC deputy commissioners were being used to bring private wadas in the peths under SRA schemes. Badhe described it then as a “factory” of TDR generation.

Keskar has cited Mumbai, where Municipal Commissioner Ashwini Bhide has asked for the second time that SRA powers move to the Mumbai civic body. He says Pune should get the same.

What it means for residents of old wadas and slums

If you live in an old wada or chawl in Kasba, Sadashiv, Narayan or other peths and a developer offers an SRA scheme, ask:

• Is the property a notified slum, or has it been called “slum-like”?
• Has PMC issued any report or NOC for it, and can you see it?
• What carpet area and rent will tenants get during construction?

Keskar also claimed that about 41 per cent of Pune’s population lives in declared slum areas, and that many residents have still not been rehabilitated.

What happens next

Commissioner Ram did not respond to The Free Press Journal’s calls for comment. The High Court petition is pending. Any transfer of SRA powers to the PMC would need a decision by the state government.

We will update this story if the PMC, the SRA or the state government responds. More housing news is in Pune Real Estate, and civic stories are in Pune Civic.

Note: The claims in this article are allegations by former corporators. They have not been proved, and Puneri Pages has not independently verified the figures.

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