PMRDA commissioner decentralises ops to streamline building permissions
At a seminar organised as part of the state government’s 100-day seven-point action plan, Mhase said that the move is expected to save citizens’ time while ensuring smoother operations
In a first, Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) commissioner Yogesh Mhase on Tuesday announced decentralisation of measures in the development permissions department to increase efficiency and address citizens’ grievances promptly.
At a seminar organised as part of the state government’s 100-day seven-point action plan, Mhase said that the move is expected to save citizens’ time while ensuring smoother operations. Mhase announced a comprehensive decentralisation plan to delegate authority across different levels of the department, making it easier for citizens to get approvals for their projects. “Assistant metropolitan planners will now handle permissions for projects up to 1,000 square metres while deputy metropolitan planners will manage projects between 1,001 and 2,000 square metres. Permissions for 2,001 to 4,000 square metres will fall under joint metropolitan planners, and projects between 4,001 and 10,000 square metres will be overseen by the director of development permissions and town planning. Additional commissioners will handle projects up to 20,000 square metres while anything above that will remain under the commissioner’s jurisdiction,” Mhase said.
The PMRDA commissioner also addressed concerns over the uneven distribution of workload within the department. He announced measures to balance responsibilities among officers and staff, ensuring fair allocation of tasks based on the scope and nature of work.
During the seminar, citizens too highlighted the difficulties they faced in accessing officials regarding their concerns. Responding to this, Mhase introduced fixed timings for citizens to meet officers in the development permissions department. Accordingly, citizens can now meet assistant town planners daily from 2 pm to 4 pm while the commissioner himself will be available every Monday and Thursday to address grievances. Mhase encouraged citizens to report their issues directly to him, the additional commissioner, or the director of development permissions for faster resolution.
Mhase also revealed plans to launch an upgraded PMRDA website within 15 days. The updated platform will feature critical information such as office circulars, citizen-focused decisions, and other updates to improve transparency and accessibility.
The PMRDA commissioner shared details about ongoing and proposed development projects in the PMRDA’s jurisdiction such as the establishment of 11 fire stations across the district to tackle emergencies; setting up of taluka-level offices and four regional offices to make services more accessible; and implementation of a river pollution control project.
Mhase reiterated the PMRDA’s commitment to making its operations citizen-friendly, transparent, and efficient. The measures announced at the seminar are part of the PMRDA’s larger objective to accelerate development and enhance service delivery in the Pune Metropolitan Region (PMR).