Lavasa (Marathi: lavāsā) is a private, planned city built near Pune, India. It is stylistically based on the Italian town Portofino, with a street and several buildings bearing the name of that town. A or project being developed by HCC, this as-yet-incomplete city has been controversial for multiple reasons including procurement of land, harm to the environment, and loans acquired through political corruption. In late 2010, the Indian Environment and Forests Ministry ordered that construction cease because the project violated environmental laws. As of late 2011, this order has been rescinded. The project's scale may have been reduced, however, and an initial public offering may not occur. The head of the company working on the project said in 2013 that due to the Environment and Forests Ministry, the project had "lost three years". History Billed as India's first hill station since independence, this private city is being constructed by a unit of Ajit Gulabchand. The architectural team responsible for the design of the town wants it be an imitation of an Italian hill-side town Land The area demarcated for Lavasa is located near Pune in the Mulshi valley of the Western Ghats. Current progress Construction of two out of the five planned towns is ongoing, and a number of residences have been completed as of 2013. By 2011 four hotels and a city centre were completed. A primary, middle, and high school, Le Mont High, has been constructed as well. The town also boasts a hospitality management college, École hôtelière Lavasa. Administration Scot Wrighton was the administrator of the city as of 2011 and held the office until 2019. Surrounding village Smaller, pre-existing communities sometimes interact with Lavasa and its residents. Some have been the focus of CSR efforts, and villagers provide construction labour to the project. Future plans Lavasa has established a pattern of promoting planned partnerships with prestigious, overseas institutions that do not ultimately see fruition. Oxford University had at one point associated itself with the project, but other, name-brand plans including future sports facilities have yet to be officially canceled. The city has a better track record when it comes to construction; some sections are complete today. It is thought that Lavasa will not be finished before 2030, however. When fully built, its total population may be 200,000, and it will consist of four or five towns built on seven hills. The first of these, Dasve, was