While the Maharashtra Government is encouraging special townships under the new housing policy and 90 applications for locational clearances have so far been received, Pune is emerging as one of their major destinations. It accounts for 34 of the proposals under consideration and seven of the eight townships sanctioned by the state, the other one being in Nagpur. One of the Pune special townships — Magarpatta City — was set up before the policy was formulated and granted the status later.

Urban development department officials said, however, that only three of these sanctioned townships are operational. Of the applications pending with the director (town planning) of the Urban Development Department, the Konkan region accounts for 40 followed by Nagpur (12) and Nashik (4). The state government recently decided to hike the FSI granted in these townships from 0.5 to one and the premium on the extra FSI will have to be paid to it in accordance with the ready reckoner value.

To boost the development of special townships, the Centre has already permitted 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector while the state housing policy has granted sops to projects in such areas like automatic non-agriculture permission, stamp duty and development charge concessions, and floating FSI. The development of basic infrastructure and amenities are an integral part of such projects.

“Townships will be like cities but will have 50 per cent open space. They will be self-contained, with even their own sewage treatment plants (STP),” said a senior official from the state urban development department. He assured that pending applications would receive locational clearance by July-end but added that applications with deficiencies would be cleared later.

“There are more land parcels available in Pune,” said Mohan Deshmukh of the Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI). The condition that over 100 acres of land would be required for a township puts Mumbai at a disadvantage, he noted.

Deshmukh added that “more supply of housing units will ensure affordability” and pointed out that satellite townships will increase the supply of housing stock. Once the Mumbai Trans-Harbour Link (MTHL), aimed at connecting Sewri in Mumbai with Nhava across the creek comes up, it will promote satellite townships in areas like Panvel and Nhava Shewa due to better connectivity. Deshmukh sought a further hike in FSI for such townships.

Satish Magar, managing director of Magarpatta City in Pune’s Hadapsar area which was set up before the policy was formulated in 2006, said that the city is witnessing a rise in demand for housing due to the growth of the information technology (IT), education and industrial sectors. “It was Magarpatta City that started the walk to work concept,” observed Magar, who has also launched Nanded City on the outskirts of Pune.

He pointed out that schools, infrastructure and a secure environment are the attractions of a township. The increase in the FSI to one would also enable optimum utilisation of land, he said.

However, many housing sector activists are not so enthused. “The state government’s housing policy is inherently weak,” opined Vishwas Utagi of the Nivara Hakka Abhiyaan, which has been campaigning for the cause of affordable housing. “Haphazard planning and the government's temporary responses, as well as lack of concrete planning and design, will ensure that the poor, middle class and working class will have no benefit or even standing in this scheme of things,” he claimed.

Utagi described special townships as just a matter of “using nomenclatures.”

Cleared so far in Pune
* Magarpatta City (set up before the policy was formulated)
* Amanora City
* Nanded City
* Flagship Infrastructure, Hinjewadi
* Knowledge City, Lavale, Mulshi
* Kumar City, Manjri
* Kumar City, Mhalunge
* Kolte Patil, Mouje Jambwe