Around 2,000 families reside in the Forest Trails Township in Pune's Bhugaon, out of which some residents have alleged of illegal construction, irregular approvals, between the Project Proponent, Paranjape Schemes Construction Ltd. (PSCL), and officials of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA).
They claim the violations have caused long-term risks to thousands of homebuyers. However, the PSCL has strongly refuted the allegations, calling them false and misleading.
Residents said that every claim made by them is backed by irrefutable documentary evidence submitted to PMRDA.
Uday Kulkarni, a resident of the township, said, "The concept of private townships envisioned to provide affordable housing on city outskirts has been undermined by collusion between the developer and PMRDA officials. In a PMRDA order dated October 6, 2025, which acknowledges that multiple irregularities were committed in the development. We found some officials attempted to alter an earlier investigation report signed by Commissioner Dr Yogesh Mhase, but the attempt failed as we already possessed the original version through the RTI Act."
The developer claims that all construction was carried out as per sanctioned PLUs. Residents counter that many sanctions themselves were illegally issued in collusion with PSCL.
A key part of their complaint is that PMRDA permitted construction on mandatory open spaces, including gardens, playgrounds, and utility sites, despite clear requirements under the State Township Policy. They cite the Commissioner’s October 6, 2025, letter to the High Powered Committee (HPC), where the Building Department reportedly claimed that the Township Policy was not clear to them for the past 15 years.
Forest Trails Township, spread over 175 acres, was developed from 2012 to 2021 under STP 2005 regulations. These rules require at least 35 acres of amenities such as parks, playgrounds, hospitals, police stations, and community facilities, in exchange for significant concessions granted to the developer. The project was to be completed by 2022. Residents allege that instead of meeting these obligations, the developer filed false affidavits, created substandard water and sewage infrastructure, and began constructing buildings on amenity spaces meant for public use.
They also questioned why PMRDA regularised several illegal structures, such as sales offices, horse stables, and an equestrian club in 2019 without levying mandatory fines or compounding fees. Also, they highlighted the rampant hill cutting in the area since 2018, which is being allegedly ignored by PMRDA despite multiple complaints.
Residents have approached the Urban Development Department (UDD) and HPC with detailed evidence and have sought an urgent hearing.
Builder’s Statement:
The company said it has earned the trust of homebuyers over four decades by delivering more than 200 projects based on quality, transparency, and ethical practices. PSCL stated that Forest Trails is an Integrated Township where gardens and playgrounds are developed proportionately in a phase-wise manner and, so far, the amenities have been developed exceedingly more compared to the developed potential.
The builder said that the allegations stem from an individual, Uday Kulkarni, whom they described as a chronic litigant who has repeatedly troubled residents, management committees, and the developer for over a decade. According to PSCL, some demands made by him were unreasonable and were rightly rejected, after which he allegedly began attempting to malign the company. They added that his statements do not reflect the views of several residents who “happily reside” in Forest Trails.
PSCL stated that it has initiated legal action against the circulation of defamatory claims and reassured stakeholders that all construction complies strictly with township regulations and approvals.
Addressing recent concerns about power fluctuations, the company said the issue affects the entire Bhugaon area due to pressure on the local grid. To resolve this, PSCL is installing a dedicated power line from an alternate source. The statement concluded by urging the public not to pay heed to baseless claims and reaffirmed PSCL’s commitment to transparent, compliant and community-focused development across its townships.
