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

On Tuesday, in the city, many areas will face water cuts because of the repair work in the Cantonment water works. The affected areas will be: Pune Cantonment area, Shivajinagar area, Pune railway station area, Camp area, Ghorpadi, Mumbai-Pune road, Juna Bazar, Koregaon Park, and Sassoon hospital area. On Wednesday, the supply will recommence at low pressure.

In the city, the World Bank has concurred to work with the PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) and assess ambitious projects like the metro and mono rail. The World Bank will also provide the PMC Rs 100 core for non-motorized transport projects. The World Bank’s proposal comes as a large development to the PMC’s plan to type a special reason vehicle (SPV), which is required to increase Rs 24,000 crore for different projects.

The SPV a suggested company called PMIDC (Pune Municipal Infrastructure Development Corporation) will observe the transportation and traffic difficulties in the city and implement projects scheduled in the complete mobility plan. Reports and Surveys will ready for the execution of mega projects like the mono and metro rail, bridges, flyovers and tunnels.

On Thursday, delegations from the World Bank meet PMC officials to discuss the SPV projects and proposed under it. Pravinsinh Pardeshi, municipal commissioner informed TOI -

The delegation was impressed with our presentation. The Rs 100 crore offered by the World Bank will be used for cycle tracks, construction of underpasses on various roads and other pedestrian-friendly initiatives.

Earlier, the PMC has discussed the SPV proposals with an allocation from the ADB (Asian Development Bank). He added -

The ADB response was positive and we are waiting for further discussions. The World Bank and the ADB will take their time to come to a final conclusion over funding these projects. But we are banking on them to receive funds.

The PMC had sent the project to type the SPV to the state government. But, the PMC wasn’t waiting at the state government’s approval to obtain began on the projects, Pardeshi said. He added that some of the projects works like Holkar Bridge construction and already, some flyovers have been started on main roads. Later, these projects will be carried under the SPV purview.

The municipal body also plans to mobilize resources by loans from financial institutions, floating bonds, capital investment from private industries which will advantage from the infrastructure projects, attracting investments from citizens during stocks and most important, by allocating private investors of the SPV to operate some services for a set period only to recover their investments.

In 2008-09, the PMC (Pune Municipal Corporation) had accelerated the process of land purchase and had used Rs 31.04 crore by 15th November 2008.

Suraj Mandhare, deputy municipal commissioner (land purchase) informed TOI that the PMC has accelerated land purchase process and is spotlighting on purchase earmarks for development of municipal facilities. The procedure received momentum in the Commonwealth Youth Games and the land purchase division had used maximum budget assigned for the reason, Mandhare said.

He said that the whole budget assigned for land purchase in the 2008 to 09 budget was of Rs 42.65 crore and the department had used Rs 31.04 crore on 15th November 2008.

The department had highest budget utilization list still last year, Mandhare added. He also added-

We have launched various schemes to make land acquisition easy. The scheme giving 154 per cent of the market rates as compensation to the landowner has become popular. The scheme is launched for the property owners who hand over the property as per the civic body’s demand within a month.

Mandhare said that the municipal body is also restoring the rent holder so that the actual holder does not face any difficulties in handling over the property to the municipal body. We are accelerating development rights transfer process so that the process of land purchase becomes smoother.

First ever, Pimpri-Chinchwad’s grade separator had been determined by troubles still since on January 1, 2007, it was launched. At that time it was primary developed and there were no blockades exclusion heavy vehicles and consequently on the road, many big trucks got wedged. On many times the concrete blocks would obtain baggy and should be repaired. On this stretch, the newest problem facing motorists travelling are the presence of big potholes.

For instance, there’s one particularly big pothole where the concrete blocks have been removed and putting naked the iron bars beneath. Sufficient, the broken surface is to unseat 2-wheeler riders.

A commuter Vijay Salvi from Chinchwad said that the PCMC have to repair rut at the earliest. On Tuesday, superintending engineer M M Savale of PCMC speaking to TOI, said -

The pothole will be repaired tomorrow as today is a holiday on account of Bakri Id.

On Tuesday, in Pune, Chief Security Commissioner V S Siddhu of Central Railway stated that the Union Government had approved Rs 4.5 core to ensure that Pune station is secure from the terrorist attacks under ISS (Integrated Security Scheme) to protest different railway stations.

The authorities have determined to begin severe checking the entry points as well as security walls in and around the station because to evade any untoward incident. In the station area, they would fit metal detectors, number of X ray machines, bag checking tools also. Further, Siddhu added that they are considering setting up bunkers also and promised that before March 2009, they would execute all the changes.

On Saturday, sleuths of the ANC (anti-narcotic cell) of the Pune crime branch nabbed 3 suspects for including a drug peddler and held 152 gm of pure heroin worth Rs 22.5 lakh near Salisbury Park.

Mohsin Khan (22) of Maharshinagar, Asif Shaikh (23) of Marketyard and Salam Singh (29) of Bhairobanala were identified by the suspects. The crime branch team acting on inform led by inspector G V Nikam on Sunday laid a catch near Salisbury Park and nabbed the suspects.

Nikam said -

This is the first time taht pure heroin has been seized in the city. Salam, who hails from Manipur, had brought it to the city a month ago. He was in search of customers. The cost of one gram of heroin is Rs 15,000.

Salam contacted Khan and Shaikh. They were interested in purchasing the heroin. They met on Saturday around 10.30 pm near Salisbury Park. Pradip Shinde, constable got that inform regarding the transaction and we laid a catch. At that time the 3 men come near the park we nabbed and recovered 152 gm of heroin form them. We also held a motorcycle and 3 mobile handsets, Nikam said

Salam confessed that he had taken the heroin from Imphal at Manipur in interrogation. Nikam said 2 years ago, he had come to Pune to study but without finishing his course he returned to Manipur. On Monday, the suspects were produced before the court and till December 10, remanded to police custody.

In 4 municipal hospitals, the PCMC’s (Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s) standing committee may provide consent to Prayas, a NGO (non-governmental organization) to manage free HIV tests and guidance. On Tuesday, a proposal will be planned at the standing committee meeting in this regard.

At YCMH (Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital), the PCMC has begun an ART (anti-retroviral therapy) centre with the assist of NACO (National Aids Control Organisation) and BAL (Bajaj Auto Ltd) on public and private partnership basis to give free AIDS tests and counseling. But, there are no such amenities in Indira Gandhi, Thergaon, Akurdi, Yamunanagar, Sangvi and Khinvsara Patil in these hospitals has required consent from the municipal body to manage free treatment, advisory and analysis centre for AIDS patients in these hospitals.

In these hospitals, the ANC (anti-natal care) centre will help Prayas as the proposal. The NGO will give information booklets, free medicines and AIDS analysis kits to AIDS patients and also give free training to the hospital staff. Especially, mothers and children for the AIDS patients will advantage from this proposal.

Medical director R R Iyer of PCMC said -

Prayas had approached him to provide free AIDS analysis and treatment at the civic hospitals.

Soon, the RTA (Regional Transport Authority) has decided to start again prepaid auto rickshaw booths at the Shivajinagar, Swargate bus depots and Pune railway station.

On Saturday, in a statement issued Baba Shinde (RTA member) said the lack of pre-paid rickshaws was reasoning harsh problem to the public at these places because of overprice by rickshaw drivers. He said -

Thus, keeping in mind the convenience and safety of citizens, it has been decided to restart the booths at the earliest.

Shinde also requested to private organizations and ex-servicemen associations to put on to the RTA to operate the booths on a round the clock basis. He added that the contracted party will earn Rs 1 for service charge for each auto rickshaw. In 2003, the prepaid booths were first lunched but afterward stop because of different reasons.

A former member of the PMTC (Pune Municipal Transport committee) Suresh Malwadkar has questioned the PMPML’s (Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited’s) move to charge only Rs 5 for each day from the private bus operators. As the citizens are made to pay superior charges from who transport body had taken buses on rent for parking.

More than 250 buses on rent had been taken by PMPML from private operators. Malwadkar said that it was the liability of the private operators to get suitable parking space. But, they have unsuccessful to find their own parking space, he said.

In December last, the PMPML entered agreements with private operators and after that followed in January this year it awake by endorsing a resolution, Malwadkar also pointed out. Their bus operators possible gave parking space in PMPML depots for Rs 150 per bus for each month as per the agreement and resolution. The PMPML has also approved to give facilities for washing these buses at a rate of Rs 150 for each bus.

Parking of their 2-wheelers and 4 wheelers for citizens are made to pay Rs 2 to Rs 5 for 2 hours and the private bus operators are getting free parking space at a nominal rate of just Rs 5 for each day, he claimed. He added that many PMPML buses in night hours are parked on roads as the depots don’t have sufficient space.

On Friday, the Hadapsar police arrested a group of 5 minors entailed in 43 vehicle robberies and 5 robberies in different areas of the city. 2 rickshaws and 14 vehicles worth Rs 12.31 lakh were held from the robberies.

Jalindar Supekar, deputy commissioner of police (zone-IV) speaking to the media, said in March last year one of the suspect also discovered his included in a murder case.

The case had been lodged in the Wanowrie police station. Allegedly, the suspect had killed one Yogesh Pawar of Wanowrie and was undetectable as then.