MSRDC Leases Land Reserved for Cancer Hospital to Private Builder, Sparking Public Outcry

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is facing backlash after deciding to lease a 2.25-acre plot near Sassoon Hospital in Mangalwar Peth, originally reserved for a cancer hospital, to a private developer. The plot is being leased for 99 years at a cost of ₹60 crore, raising concerns among citizens who feel public health priorities are being sidelined in favor of private interests.

During the recent state assembly session, Medical Education Minister Hasan Mushrif had announced plans for a cancer hospital on the plot. However, a letter from Rahul Vasaikar, a superintending engineer at MSRDC, revealed the plot would instead be leased to NG Ventures. The letter, dated April 2, 2024, indicates that existing public works department offices on the land would need to be vacated to facilitate the handover.

Further details came to light from a communication by MSRDC General Manager Dattaprasad Nade, dated March 11, 2024. It disclosed that the MSRDC board had approved NG Ventures’ offer of ₹60.11 crore as a lease premium. The lease agreement is set at a nominal rate of ₹1 per square meter per year for a 99-year period, with renewals every 30 years. The MSRDC will act as an intermediary in the transaction.

Real estate experts estimate the current market value of the plot to be around ₹500 crore, far exceeding the lease amount agreed upon. Civic activist and former Pune Municipal Corporation corporator Ujjwal Keskar criticized the decision, stating to Hindustan Times that the land transfer violates government rules on public land disposal, which require higher authority approval. Keskar has called for intervention by district guardian minister Ajit Pawar and minister Chandrakant Patil to cancel the lease.

Repeated attempts to reach MSRDC Managing Director Anil Gaikwad for comments were unsuccessful.