With the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Nagpur initiating steps to set up its first satellite branch in Pune, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has expressed willingness to offer 60-acre government land at Moshi.
A team from IIM is slated to visit the city on October 12 to check the feasibility of the land, where once quarries existed, for setting up of its wing in Pimpri-Chinchwad, after it received a communication on the availability of land.
“We have told them that a piece of land is available in Pimpri-Chinchwad and they can themselves check its feasibility,” Resident Deputy Collector Jyoti Kadam told The Indian Express Saturday.
Earlier, the municipal corporation had written to the Pune collector to take up the matter with IIM officials.
”We had learnt that IIM was scouting for a piece of land for setting up its branch. Therefore, we sent a letter to the Pune district collector suggesting 60-acre government land which was available within the PCMC jurisdiction at Moshi,” Municipal Commissioner Shekhar Singh told The Indian Express, adding that the land is currently reserved for recreational purposes.
”Its reservation can be changed for setting up of the IIM. If an institute of the stature of IIM comes to Pimpri-Chinchwad, we can always initiate the process of changing the purpose of the reservation. If IIM comes to the city, it will have a massive spillover impact,” he said.
Earlier, the IIM had zeroed in on a piece of land in the Prerne area on Pune-Ahmednagar Road but things did not move forward. “MLA Mahesh Landge had suggested to us that there is government land available in Pimpri-Chinchwad where IIM can be set up,” Kadam said.
On the other hand, Landge said he was actually trying to bring an IIT in Pimpri-Chinchwad.
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”While in Delhi, I learnt that IIM, Nagpur, was looking for a space in Pune for its satellite branch. I contacted them and invited them to see the land which is available in Pimpri-Chinchwad. I also contacted Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and sought his intervention in the matter. Fadnavis has also spoken to the IIM officials regarding the matter,” he said.
Municipal Commissioner Singh said that the PCMC has not sent a proposal in this regard but sent a letter. “We have stated that if IIM is being set up in Pimpri-Chinchwad, we can get the purpose of the land changed with the permission of the Maharashtra government. We have informed about its reservation and how much extent of land is available,” Singh said.
Explaining the significance of setting up IIM in Moshi, Singh said the land is located right on the Pune-Nashik Highway and has better connectivity than other parts of the city. “Besides, it is also connected to the Pune airport and Mumbai also is not very far. It also has good connectivity with Outer Ring Road. That is why we are pushing Moshi for IIM. PCMC will be very happy if an IIM branch comes to the industrial city which will help change the education scenario,” he said.
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First published on: 07-10-2023 at 15:06 IST