The historic Pune is now Maharashtra’s geographically-largest city, surpassing the financial capital of Mumbai.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) now commands an area over 518 sq kms as against the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) which is spread over 434 sq km.
The Maharashtra govenrment’s Urban Development Department on Wednesday evening issued the notification including 23 adjoining villages – this increasing the limits from the existing 331 sq km to 518 sq km.
However, if one considers the budget and population, Pune is behind Mumbai.
The PMC has an estimated budget of Rs 8,370 crore for 2021-22, as compared to the Rs 39,038 crore budget of the BMC.
Similarly, Pune’s population is 34 lakh as against Mumbai’s whooping 1.2 crore.
According to the notification, the 23 villages added to PMC limits are Mhalunge, Sus, Bavdhan Budruk, Kirkatwadi, Pisoli, Kondhwe-Dhawade, Kopre, Nanded, Khadakwasla, Manjari Budhruk, Narhe, Holkarwadi, Autade-Handewadi, Wadachiwadi, Shewalewadi, Nandoshi, Sanasnagar, Mangdewadi, Bhilarewadi, Gujar Nimbalkarwadi, Jambhulwadi, Kolewadi and Wagholi.
A decision to merge 34 fringe villages in the civic areas was taken in 2013-14, however, in 2017 only 11 villages were included and now the remaining 23 were merged with the city.