Pune News Blog
A blog about life in Pune and various news in Pune city

Recently, in New Delhi, the National level ICMAS ABACUS contest was organized. Pune achieved 6 prizes with 1700 contestants from all over the country. Kritika Jain won the contest award (without ABACUS category) for 3rd level.
In 3rd level, Urvi Jain was the first runner up (with ABACUS Category). Dheeraj Jadhav won a gold medal (with ABACUS category) for 2nd level. Akhilesh Siddhanti walked away with 2 medals in the 5th level. Atharva Ramgirkar was the small winner achieved the Little Wizard award and astonished the judges with his great performance. Anuradha Jain was the course instructor. She received the most motivating C1 award.

On Friday, a 22-years-old Latika Anil Pawar was kidnapped and looted of her jewellery approximated to be value of Rs 41, 000 in the Kalewadi area. Latika had left to a wedding in Kalewadi. A nearby medical store, after purchasing some medicines and walking on the Kalewadi-Pimpri road some unknown burglars came in Omni Van and kidnapped her to Talegaon and looted her jewellery. The incident came to light that time Latika registered a complaint with Sangvi police station. But, no arrests should be made until now.

On Wednesday, the crime branch sleuths because held 5 robbers and recovered loot worth Rs 3.30 lakh from their custody.

As many as, the police alleged the suspects were involved in 15 house robbed in Nigdi, Chakan, Dehu road and Pimpri. They were identified as Ravindra Bhalerao (26) of Mulshi, Rajan Thakur (31) of Sindhudurga, Milind also called Rahul Pawar (35) of Shukravar Peth, Shukravar Peth and Vikas Dilip Kale (23) both residents of Nigdi.

Inspector Vijaysinh Gaikwad led a team of crime branch’s unit one and Ashok Shelke, assistant inspector nabbed the criminals. Gaikwad told TOI that Jaisha and Vikas kale connect to the similar group. In the night, they used to break into houses. The pair was held in Budhwar Peth. They said that they were involved in 6 house looted in Nigdi, Chakan and Pimpri area during interrogation. We have recovered loot worth Rs 8,300 from their custody.

He added –

We apprehended Thakur and Bhalerao at Budhwar Peth on Wednesday. They used to burgle houses in broad daylight. The duo confessed to their involvement in five break-ins in Nigdi, Pimpri and Dehuroad. Gold worth Rs 1.25 lakh was recovered from their possession.

The crime branch teams also handle to nab history sheeter Rahul Sanjay Pawar. In Pune, Pawar has agreed to loot 4 houses.

PMC’s Yerwada ward office acts against illegal construction in Vadgon Sheri. Commercial holders in Vadgaon Sheri at the Survey no.13 have built illegal partition, railing etc. The PMC officials were unfilled in around 3,300 square feet area. On the Kharadi Road, the PMC officials act against illegal construction of around 3,000 square feet at the Reliance Mart basement in another incident. Also, three shades occupying of 1,000 square feet at the Sopan nagar area was destroyed by 2 JCB.

Gurumantra Institute of Animation and web designing will be organized an art competition for the student. On 2nd and 5th January 2009, the competition will be held and open to college students from any faculty. The entries will be received in the categories of Mehendi designing, Rangoli, Joke telling between others and Cell Phone Photography contest. Gift vouchers of Rs 1000, Rs 2000 and Rs 3000 will be provided to the 1st three places in every group. Mr. Prasanna Joshi, the director of Gurumantra institute said that open for the whole competition for the students will be free and on January 3 a special exhibition for the competition will be organized in the Udyan Prasad Hall.

A yet unnamed mobile-telephone company uncovered 3-half kilometers of the road connecting Wadgaonsheri and Viman Nagar areas for 2 days ago. PMC registered a FIR at the Yerwada the day after this occurred. But, as the PMC was incapable to show the company name and the police are finding it problems to place the mystery uncovers.

The road had been uncovered from Dutt Mandir in Viman Nagar to Cafe Coffee house from the Reliance Fresh supermarket to Mhada colony and Nagar road to Subham Gardenia.

If any telecom or MSEDCL desires to change the underground cable in usual cases and them are wanted to register an application and take consent. For each meter, PMC charges Rs 1,900 for excavating.

PMC had provided many numbers and various company names to the police reasoning some confusion in the investigation. Police inspector Rahul Galande at the airport police chowky said -

PMC has not named a specific company. They just gave us the names of companies which have taken permission for digging in the city area. So, it is difficult to pin-point the company in question.

Vivak Kharwadkar, city engineer told Pune Mirror -

Since we did not know the name of the company, we have given the names of those companies which are already supposed to have taken permission from PMC. As per my knowledge, it should not be difficult to find the company. PMC has given orders to file an FIR against the illegal digging of roads. The company will also have to pay a heavy fine.

He added the people have to inform PMC officials if they come across anybody uncovering roads to lay cables.

The PCMC (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation) has started construction of 2 FOBs (Foot Over Bridges) in Kharalwadi and Vallabhnagar on the old Pune to Mumbai highway. Eknath Ugile, city engineer said that the PCMC plans to start the foot over bridges in Vallabhnagar and Kharalwadi in a month.

The Pune-Mumbai highway is one of the engaged roads in the PCMC restrictions. The long extend (13 km) from Nigdi-Dapodi has been extended to 61 meters for 2 years ago. Enlarge from Nigdi-Phugewadi has been extended to 61 meters. In the centre, the old highway has 4 concretized and 2 asphalted service lanes.

As the extending of the highway had decreased the travel period for motorists and it had created difficulties for the pedestrians and the main one being the problem is to cross the 61 meter extensive road.

At Pimpri-Chinchwad, the PCMC build 2 pedestrian brides over the rank dividers on the highway but the pedestrians even must create their route during the traffic on the service lanes to arrive at the other highway side. In Kharalwadi and Vallabhnagar, the new pedestrian foot over bridges will allow pedestrians to cross 61 meters for the whole width of the highway.

Nita Raut, local resident told TOI -

It has become difficult to cross the Kharalwadi chowk after the widening of the highway. Vehicles come from both directions at high speed on the concrete lanes. Some vehicles go from the concrete lanes to the service lanes and vice-versa. So one cannot cross the highway easily.

Ganesh Bhalerao, another resident said -

The PCMC should have constructed the foot over bridge or a subway at Kharalwadi first, before widening the highway. It should complete the construction of the FOB as soon as possible.

In Dapodi, Sonal Kshirsagar said -

Pedestrians have to cross the concrete lanes evading the speeding vehicles to reach the Vallabhnagar state transport bus-stand. The authorities should have made some arrangement for pedestrians to cross the highway safely.

Recently, the RTA (Regional Transport) office has bagged the excellence award for its hard works on executing the technical management of auto rickshaws project in city. Under implementation, the project is the first time in the country.

In the city, the project has been introduced in the last month and having focus both on welfare of rickshaw drivers and offering prompt services to the consumers. Above 2,000 drivers till now have registered under this project. In Pune, with above 55,000 auto rickshaws the RTA soon is except an increase in registration.

The technical management of auto rickshaws’ goals at providing a securing and well-organized last mile connectivity to customers. It also advantages the drivers with provide for services like cell phones, accident and insurance policies for families, biometric identity cards and uniform all free of cost as well. This project is being financed during funding and advertisements on autos from the central government and being executed by the Union government’s UMTC (Urban Mass Transport Company) in organization with the RTA Pune.

The Institute of Urban Transport (India) was instituted the excellence award that presented by Ajar Makhan, minister for urban development recently at a function in New Delhi. The award had been given for the hard works being made to development in urban mobility.

An official from the regional transport authority said -

Under the scheme, auto rickshaws would be tracked by GPS and GIS systems. The passengers would get the service at door step by making a call or SMS to the control room. The system would also avoid the chances of over-charging.

On Saturday, in the city, Satyapal Singh, Pune police commissioner requested to educational institutes for their foreign students to maintain a systematic record because of to assist the police maintain a tab on the foreigner’s activities.

Singh was addressing of the TMC (Top Management Consortium) advisory members to discuss problems of the 30th governing body meeting and regarding the foreigners registration in the police commissionerate.

The institutes to get a policy decision to give exact information on foreigners to the police, Singh asked. In this regard, he sought the foreign student’s co-operation of the University of Pune department.

Ravindra Sengaonkar, deputy commissioner of police of the special branch in Pune emphasized the difficulties faced by the police in keep records of the almost 19,000 foreign students and 5,000 other foreign nationals in the city. The police find it very hard to handle the information because of a lack of communications required for maintaining huge amounts of records, Sengaonkar pointed out.

The police made of the members of the efforts to give residential permits and extend visas to foreigners in a week’s time, he also apprised. In the last 3 months, above 100 students has been deported and staying in the city without valid visas, he said.

He added that J G Patil, TMC secretary general recommended the start of smart cards including personal details to foreigners and assist the police maintain a tab on them. The cards will also create the visas easier extension.

On 5th December 2008, in Dubai, Aneri Chauhan of the city’s math prodigy has snatched top honors at an international level speed arithmetic event.

A nine-year-old Aneri Chauhan class 5 student of St May’s School has bagged the first runner-up trophy in the level 2 category of SIP (Sociable Intellectual Progressive) Prodigy 2009. In Dubai, SIP Prodigy 2009 is a mammoth international level event. “SIP Prodigy 2009” spectator an irresistible response from all over the world. Above 2000 children from India, Indonesia, the UAE, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and other countries participate between 7 to 13 years old in the Abacus and Brain Gym competition. In 5 minutes, perform 125 the participants challenged that sums and accuracy and the thinking speed was put to a hard test. In one month, Aneri has put of steep hard wok and usual practice for this competition. Daily, she practiced for half an hour in the morning and evening. At the Manraj Learning Centre, she was trained in the Kalyani Nagar branch of SIP Academy in India.

Kamini is a proud mother. She says -

I used to time each single calculation she worked at. Gradually she picked up her speed. Seeing her speed and accuracy in solving the sums, she was encouraged to appear for the level-2 category, in which she gave her best effort, putting in a lot of devotion.

Aneri Chauhan, little champ said -

I feel very happy on winning the trophy. It has encouraged me to perform even better in my future competitions.