The Maharashtra Housing Department has ordered a formal inquiry into the disputed land valuation used for the proposed transfer of development rights (TDR) in Pune’s Janata Vasahat slum rehabilitation project, after questions were raised over a reported increase in the land value from about Rs 110 crore to Rs 763 crore.
The two-member committee comprises Divisional Commissioner Sheetal Teli-Ugle and Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram. The department has directed the committee to submit its report to the state government within one month. It has also asked the officials to recommend measures to prevent similar valuation disputes in future.
The inquiry will examine the difference between the valuation rates applied to the land and the resulting TDR compensation proposed for the private landowners. The property is located at Final Plot Nos. 519, 521A and 521B in Parvati, corresponding to old Survey Nos. 105, 107, 108 and 109. The site covers about 48 acres and contains the Janata Vasahat slum settlement.
According to the report, the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) had approved a proposal to take over the private land under the 2022 regulations and compensate the landowner, Parvati Land Developers LLP, through TDR. Before executing the conveyance deed, the SRA wrote to the joint district registrar to obtain a valuation for the property.
The SRA’s communication reportedly identified the area as being occupied by a slum and referred to an annual value-table rate of Rs 39,650 for determining the document value. On that basis, the joint district registrar assessed the slum-occupied land at 40% of its total value, in accordance with the applicable government rules, and the SRA completed the conveyance after paying the resulting amount.
The dispute concerns the rate that should have been applied to the property. The report states that the relevant annual valuation table showed a rate of Rs 5,720 per square metre for the Parvati Park Hill reservation associated with the survey numbers. Applying that rate, the land’s government valuation was estimated at about Rs 110 crore. The alternative valuation, based on the rate associated with City Survey No. 661, reportedly raised the value to Rs 763 crore.
The report alleges that the SRA itself wrote to the joint district registrar seeking application of the City Survey No. 661 valuation rate. The resulting TDR proposal became the subject of questions over whether the correct location-specific rate had been used and whether the higher compensation was justified under the applicable rules. The inquiry will now determine the basis for the valuation difference and the responsibility of officials and other parties, if established by the committee.
Pudhari had previously reported the matter in a series titled “TDR Robbery”. The report states that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis subsequently ordered a stay on the land TDR and directed an inquiry. The latest order by the Housing Department formalises the investigation through the divisional commissioner and municipal commissioner.
The case highlights the administrative chain involved in land-based TDR transactions: the SRA identifies and processes the rehabilitation proposal, the Housing Department approves the relevant proposal, and the registration authorities determine the document value using government valuation tables. The committee’s report is expected to examine how the rates were selected and whether the procedure was followed correctly. Its first formal milestone is the submission of the inquiry report to the state government within one month.
