Pune, Maharashtra — The Pune police has agreed in principle to vacate the police complex that houses Faraskhana and Vishrambaug police stations to enable the proposed expansion of the Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganapati temple, officials said on Thursday.
Formal clearance and conditions
Pune Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar said the force forwarded a no-objection certificate (NOC) to the state home department on August 10 for handing over the premises to the temple trust. The transfer, he stressed, will take place only after a new police complex is built and all offices are shifted to the new facility.
"The premises will be handed over to the temple trust only after a new police complex is constructed and all offices are shifted there," Amitesh Kumar said, according to the department statement.
Why the move and where police will shift
The Faraskhana–Vishrambaug complex serves a densely populated and commercially busy part of central Pune that includes the Dagdusheth temple, which draws heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic year-round. The state government granted the temple Class A tourism status in May, making it eligible for government support towards infrastructure and development — a step that has renewed the trust's push for additional land.
To accommodate the police units displaced by the expansion, the department has sought transfer of a municipal plot in Budhwar Peth. The plan envisages a modern, integrated police complex that would house:
- Faraskhana and Vishrambaug police stations
- a traffic police outpost
- offices for senior police officers including the assistant commissioner of police, DCP Zone 1 and additional commissioner of police (West)
Funding and handover terms
The police have made it clear that the temple trust must pay for the government land that will be handed over for the expansion. The present police building on the site dates to 1979; records show the existing structure was inaugurated on 1 October 1979. Officials framed the proposal not only as relocation of an ageing building but as an opportunity to create an upgraded policing facility better suited to current operational needs.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Police stations affected | Faraskhana, Vishrambaug |
| Proposal submitted | NOC to state home department on 10 August |
| Proposed new site | Municipal plot in Budhwar Peth |
| Existing building inaugurated | 1 October 1979 |
Local impact and next steps
Residents and traders in central Pune are likely to see a lengthy planning and construction process before any physical handover. The police have sought assurance of a completed replacement complex before vacating the current site — a condition aimed at avoiding any lapse in policing coverage for a high-density commercial and religious precinct.
For the temple trust, taking over Faraskhana premises is key to its expansion blueprint. Temple officials have sought additional land for years; with Class A tourism status now in place, they become eligible for government assistance that can underpin larger-scale redevelopment.
Officials said detailed timelines, transfer of the Budhwar Peth municipal plot and funding arrangements for the new police complex will be worked out between the home department, Pune municipal authorities and the temple trust. Until then, the Faraskhana–Vishrambaug complex will continue to function from the existing building.
This development highlights the competing demands on scarce central Pune land — balancing heritage and religious infrastructure with civic services such as policing and traffic management. The final plan and its execution will determine how those priorities are reconciled in the busy heart of Pune.
