Pune Discussions

[cncity]

According to Liases Foras property study, 430 lakh sq ft will be sold in next 14 months

Pune is a “genuine space for home buyers” and tops the list of six metro regions in the country, including Mumbai and NCR, as far as pace of sale is concerned, shows a recent survey by real estate rating and research consultant Liases Foras.

At the current pace of buying, Pune homes will be sold the fastest, taking just 14 months to sell its 43.06 million (430 lakh) sq ft, the survey states. The RBI cutting lending rate to banks last month has led to cheaper home loans, boosting the sales further.

Pune real estate is a genuine buyers’ rather than investors’ market. “Pune market has always been up and will continue to go up,” said Satish Magar, president, CREDAI-Pune Metro. “Supply is as per demand and we have a good number of genuine buyers rather than investors unlike other metros,” said Magar.

The study covered units in Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR)- Mumbai, Thane, Kalyan and Navi Mumbai-the National Capital Region (NCR), Pune, Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

CREDAI vice-president Rohit Gera, who has conducted a survey in the city, said the Pune realty market has always been considered very bouyant. “Overall supply position as published by us shows that 80 percent gets sold out. This a very healthy position and part of the reason Pune has seen a sharp increase in buyers,” said Gera.

He explained that the Pune market has not seen any sharp increase in prices as against other markets. “It is a reasonably mature market and one has not seen any sudden, sharp or indiscriminate price rise and developers have been keen on not raising prices too much. Considering the present rates, one sees continuous buying and selling and the market has always been an active one. While Mumbai may be second to Delhi in unsold homes, it has also been assessed that a steep rise in interest rates in the last 18 months was a key reason for low sales as buyers try to avoid high home loans,” he added.The RBI rate cut has been to the advantage for the Pune market in particular,’’ said a broker in Kothrud area that has seen a lot of buying and selling.

As against Mumbai, property prices in Pune are definitely lower, said Rohit Rao, an IT professional who shifted from Mumbai to Pune and brought a property here. “In Mumbai the realty market is beyond our reach,’’ he said.

The survey states that Pune, although closer to the Mumbai market, sees higher sales in residential units despite having just half the units built in Mumbai because of high costs in Mumbai. Land cost is also higher in Mumbai pushing up project costs.

The Liases Foras report says Bangalore with 71.29 million sq ft and Chennai 42.75 million sq ft of unsold homes will be cleared in 20 months. But Hyderabad may take 38 months to sell its 33.82 million sq ft residential units as political unrest in the city pulls down buyer sentiment. According to MCHI-CREDAI, there are nearly 500 projects awaiting environmental clearance

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pu...urvey/945249/2

[adam_india]

Accident fatality boards to be put up on Pune roads

Commuters in the city will now have lessons to learn even as they drive. City-based NGO Save Pune Traffic Movement (SPTM) to spread awareness about the severity of road accidents has decided to put up boards in various places around the city displaying monthly updates of fatal accidents along with their facts and figures.

Rajendra Sidhaye, member of SPTM, said, “We have observed that mere preaching does not convey the severity of the road accidents to the commuters. Therefore, we have decided to install ‘accident fatality scoreboards’ at prominent locations in the city.”
Sidhaye said, “We will be putting up figures and charts of the fatalitiesand update these figures every month. These updates will keep reminding citizens and authorities about their responsibilities to make Pune’s traffic safer.”

SPTM had launched ‘Save 100 lives’ campaign in January with the objective of significantly reducing traffic accident fatalities in Pune. Sidhaye said, “Nearly 50% of the casualties are two-wheeler riders and one-third of the fatalities are pedestrians. Hence, SPTM is focusing on these two road-user
categories.”

Sidhaye added, “We see lot of schoolgoing children walking to school, and since the footpaths are not proper in the city, many of them are forced to walk on the streets making it dangerous for them.

“Therefore, we are planning to distribute reflective strips to the students in schools, which they can stick on their school bags.These reflective strips will give additional time to the motorists to see the students and thus gain control over their vehicles.”

http://www.dnaindia.com/pune/report_...-roads_1687924

http://www.savepunetraffic.org/

[adam_india]

City to get its own list of natural heritage sites

Pune: The city will soon have its own list of natural heritage sites,with the city-based Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage working on the project,which is being supported by the Pune Municipal Corporation.The list will include such important sites like the confluence of the Mula-Mutha rivers,the Hamunan tekdi with its indigenous tree species and the quarry lake,which is visited by bird of varied species,old or rare or endangered trees scattered in the city,parks that have old ficus trees,lakes visited by migratory birds,breeding and nesting sites of birds,among other locations.
Once the INTACH,Pune chapter,an NGO dedicated to conserving rich and diverse natural and man-made heritage,completes documenting and listings the sites and is made official by the PMC,these sites,rich in biodiversity or with cultural,aesthetic or ecological values,will be conserved.
Supriya Goturkar Mahabaleshwarkar,coordinator,INTACH Pune,told TOI that the Pune natural heritage list covers natural heritage sites in the PMC areas and also in the 23 villages merged in the Pune city limits.The list includes rivers,hills,old and rare trees,lakes,habitat of fauna and flora of endemic species that are restricted in this particular area,streams,water channels,natural vegetation,water bodies,hill tops,among others.
The documentation involves site visits,study of the area,documentation and also interviews with experts and locals.The listing divulges details on conservation significance,threats,cultural aspects,involvement of agency or community involvement for its protection,among others.It will also look at traditional practices of conservation,cultural traditions like myths,folklore and so on, she said.
The Project is funded by the INTACH and the PMC.At present,we are compiling the list and it will be completed in couple of months time, Mahabaleshwarkar said.
Shyaam Dhavalaey,deputy city engineer,heritage cell,PMC,said the natural heritage site list will be finalised by the heritage committee formed by the PMC.The list will then come to the PMC and we will take up conservation measures in these selected sites.At present,PMC does not have a natural heritage site list,though the civic body has a list of heritage structures, he said.

WHAT ARE NATURAL HERITAGE SITES

Areas with ecological and biological significance Areas having natural vegetation of cultural significance sacred groves,water bodies,hill tops Areas associated with cultural,religious beliefs and practices Natural landscapes of aesthetic and recreational value

What will the Pune list include

Rivers,hills,old and rare trees,lakes,parks associated with old Ficus trees,habitat of fauna and flora of endangered and endemic species that are restricted in this particular area,streams,water channels,natural vegetation,among others.

http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/...=&publabel=TOI

[adam_india]

At university chowk, 2-wheelers hit 10,000 per peak hour

Pune City's air quality will be checked by 100 college students as part of the SAFAR air quality forecasting system
How good or bad is air Puneites breathe is being assessed by some 100 college students as part of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology’s efforts to develop SAFAR air quality forecasting system for the city, which has been a success in Delhi.

A week’s data of vehicles in Pune has given some startling results. The ‘Emission Inventory Data Generation’ for Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad has enthusiastic participants from Vasantdada Sugar Institute, Fergusson College, IITM and others. They generate primary data related to transport (two-wheelers, three-wheelers, four-wheelers including light commercial vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles) and also visit slum pockets and interact with women for data on cooking of food using wood, coal and kerosene.

Campaign coordinators Deepali Nimbalkar and Neha Parkhi along with Fergusson College students Anjali, Nilesh, Ajinkya and Yogita have collected primary data on fuel usage from 10,000 houses in slums in a week. At three locations where vehicles plying at a particular rush hour was surveyed, the maximum load was at University Chowk, 22,825, of which 10,000 were two-whhelers, between 9-10 AM followed by Hadapsar with 13,091 and Pimpri Chowk 12,593 between 6-7 PM.

Volunteers Ashwin and Rupesh said that 10,000 two-wheelers were counted between 9-10 AM followed by cars and buses. The data collected every day is fed into computers and the trend of emission sources is analysed by a team of VSI students led by Rahul Pawar.

Dr Gufran Beig, Programme Director, SAFAR says, “The striking feature is that maximum vehicles are two-wheelers that emit a huge amount of gases like nitrous oxide and dioxide. This creates respiration difficulties. This campaign is like a first step towards development of air quality forecasting system for Pune. The SAFAR system is being developed by IITM under the Ministry of Earth Sciences. VSI and IITM have taken special efforts to safeguard health of volunteers by providing them with anti-pollution masks, besides UV-B preventive glares for protection from solar radiation.

Motivated young students divided into various groups cover sectors like transport, residential, industrial, agricultural and waste sectors. Students collecting transport data are divided into three batches. Pune has been divided into 42 zones for systematic collection of residential sector data being collected by over 30 students. Volunteers visit hotels, restaurants, houses and slum pockets to collect data on fuel type and fuel consumption. Health data in relation to air pollution will also be collected as a part of this campaign, Beig told Newsline.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-n...k-hour/953728/


22,825 vehicles per hour at University chowk during rush hour, it would mean over 380 vehicles passing per minute!

[adam_india]

Report on Michelle Kakade's (43 years) feat of running on a treadmill for 25 hours

[cncity]

MUMBAI: There are plans to develop three hill city projects in the Mulshi-Mawal-Velhe belt in Pune district. These, along with Lavasa and Aamby Valley, are part of the biodiversity-rich Sahyadri region.

A private firm, Maharashtra Valley View Private Limited (MVVPL), has evinced interest in developing resorts, holiday homes and a township in villages falling under Mulshi taluka under special regulations formulated for hill stations in November 1996.

Despite questions being raised by activists and concerns expressed by the state-level expert appraisal committee (SEAC) of the Union environment ministry, the state urban development (UD) department on May 19 issued a notification designating revenue land in seven villages in Mulshi as "hill station".

While MVVPL will seek to develop the hill station project in the villages of Saltar, Mazgaon, Barpe Bhu, Barmbarde, Ekole, Ghutke and Adgaon, sources say another firm, Satind Infrastructure, has evinced interest in developing parts of nearby Talbela, Sakarand and Mazgaon. A third company, Aqualand India Private Limited, has reportedly shown interest in developing land in the Panshet, Varasgaon, Khadakwasla dam, Mulshi, Mugaon, Lawarde, Wegere, Sakhari, Dasave and adjoining areas.

For the first project, the notification would facilitate the acquisition of land and submit a formal proposal for clearance under the policy norms, officials said. Clearance to the project would be granted only after the process of acquisition and terms and conditions of the government are met, they added.

While the policy requires a developer to possess a minimum of 1,000 acres in his/her possession to undertake development, officials say the firm's plans span over 5,000 acres.

Sources said the process of designating land required for the other two projects was pending with the UD department. The Aqualand proposal has been pending since 2005, officials said.

On Tuesday, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, endorsing the latest notification, said it was in accordance with the hill station policy. "Clearances are being given in keeping with rules and regulation of the policy." In a reference to the Lavasa project, Chavan said, "Mistakes committed in the past while granting clearances to projects such as Lavasa will not be repeated."

For one, the government is firm that the new project/s would not be granted a special planning authority status. The UD department has also imposed a set of 20 conditions (see box), which include a commitment of exclusion of gaothan areas and government forest land. It has also said unauthorized construction will result in immediate withdrawal of permissions.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/14074756.cms

[cncity]

Hinjewadi, the fast-developing IT hub of Pune, is increasingly opting for the 'walk-to-work' concept. Rising concerns of poor infrastructure in the city are encouraging developers to come up with 'walk-to-work' projects leading to a spurt of commercial cum residential complexes in the city.

A large number of hotels and other commercial activities are making Hinjewadi - a bustling suburb, ideal for residing. Moreover, it's easy accessibility to Mumbai and Pune is making this place a much sought after location. Industry insiders attribute this trend to the government's eagerness to woo hi-tech industries by throwing in liberal incentives by its IT and ITeS policy back in 2003. Further, the government waived off stamp duties for owned and leased properties built on Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) land.

Today this bubbling IT hub employs more than 1.5 lakh people forcing to develop residential spaces like never before.Mr Shashank Paranjape, managing director, Paranjape Schemes Constructions Ltd from Pune informed, "This western part of Pune especially the areas around Baner, Pashan, Wakad, Hinjewadi and Tathawade have grown rapidly after the completion of the Mumbai-Pune expressway and the IT hub in Hinjewadi. Hence, we thought there was a lot of potential for the housing needs for people working in these areas. Moreover, the surrounding areas of this township have many educational institutes which is another reason for attracting prospective customers. As we also have an IT SEZ within the township, there are a lot of potential buyers for this project."

He added, "Our first township project "Blue Ridge" was launched in the year 2007 and it has received an overwhelming response. Blue Ridge is being developed on a land parcel of 138 acres in the 1st phase of Rajiv Gandhi Infotech Park, Hinjewadi. It consists of around 3000 apartments, a 3 million sqft of IT SEZ. The project takes care of every requirement that a family would love to relish."

Hinjewadi's proximity to the Pune city, which is approximately a 40 minute drive away, gives it a special edge. Furthermore, Mumbai international airport is only a three-and a-half hour's drive away.


Talking about the shift in trend, Mr Paranjpe said, "The regular customer is a buyer for a standard sized flat, say, a 2 BHK of 1150 sqft. But when we launched the studio apartment and introduced the 1BHK loft apartment we could see that people are trendier than we envisaged. This new concept of loft was sold in a jiffy. Thus, we can see that buyers also like good changes in their housing needs. Today's buyer's need is to own apartments in larger projects especially townships because such townships provide them with all the facilities at proximity."

Paranjpe Schemes invested Rs 4,000 crore in the 'Blue Ridge' project and the current rate is Rs 5,300 per sqft for the apartments. The total cost of a flat ranges from Rs 30 lakh to about Rs 2 crore depending on the size of apartments.

Mr Shailesh Puranik, managing director, Puranik Builders said, "Hinjewadi is the fastest growing location with improved lifestyle and infrastructure."

Moreover, Hinjewadi being an IT hub, there is an increase in the demand for homes by IT and industrial employees. Considering the development in this area and the rising demand for homes, we feel this is an apt location for investing in real estate. We also encourage walk-to- work culture and hence we have constructed our project Aldea Espanola which is in close proximity to Hinjewadi IT Park. This ultimately will result in fetching better returns for investors due to which people are highly motivated to purchase flats in this area," explained Mr Puranik. The total project cost is of Rs 160 crore and apartments range from Rs 50 to Rs 75 lakh. Many developers have invested handsomely and forayed into offering different styles of residential spaces to allure and comfort buyers who would see better homes as a bonus above living close to their workplace. "We aim to develop our project in three phases and investment cost of first phase is Rs 600 crore. What we are offering is a range of techno-art crafted villas, premium residences and value residences in vibrant neighbourhoods that offer a fascinating mix of local wisdom and tradition with contemporary culture and style." said Mr Vijay Sane, project director, Life republic at Hinjewadi-Marunji-Kasarsai road by Kotle-Patil developers.

CUSTOMER PERSPECTIVE

Sharing his views Mr Nitish Agarwal who plans to buy his house in Hinjewadi said, "Since we are working in IT field we are planning to purchase house in this vicinity itself. Frankly speaking there has been a global trend to have housing developments in and around business areas. Though these areas are comparatively far away from daily conveniences and the city centre, they gain importance due to the work force in the vicinity. This results in reduction of travel time. Long hours plus traffic eats into the precious time, which otherwise could have been spent with family and recreation."

Another IT professional Ms Shruja Nair, working in the Hinjewadi belt said, "The planning of this area is done in a much better manner and is set only to improve from here and companies as well as employees value this. Many developers have acquired land in and around this area and therefore, further developments shall be done again in an orderly manner. Also with rapid investment in residential, commercial and infrastructure of Hinjewadi, the future for this part of the city looks bright. Hinjewadi will play an important role in offsetting the additional pressure of population in Pune city.

CREDAI - welcomes the move. Mr Hemant Naiknavare, vice president, Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI) informed that this "walk-to-work" is a global trend that is growing up immensely.

"I feel earlier people used to get tired as they were unable to handle the stress for long duration. They would prefer to enjoy their personal life with family as the daily routine was quite tiresome. But if such townships come up in the vicinity of the office, I believe the present generation youngsters would surely look up to it. And with more nuclear families where the husband and wife both are working they would prefer to have everything at a stone's throw. Be it markets, malls, gyms and even schools and offices," he commented.

He added, "With higher salaries the targets are also huge. Such culture should grow up as it will benefit the working people and they might not even choose to retire! Hinjewadi for that matter, can be surely a better option to reside for the people who work in the surrounding areas"

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/14085280.cms

[amco_in]

DSK Pune Motorwheels to set up bike plant in India

DSK Motorwheels in order to localise the production of 250cc 'Hysoung GT250R,' is planning to set up manufacturing plant in India.
The company intends to invest Rs 300 crore for the plant. The required funds will come through equity. However, the company has not finalised a location for the plant.

The company imports superbikes made by Hyosung Motors (renamed S&T Motors) of Korea as completely knocked down (CKD) kits and sells them in India.

[p.raghavendra6]

Originally Posted by cncity

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/14074756.cms
3 hill cities planned in Pune district’s green zone

MUMBAI: There are plans to develop three hill city projects in the Mulshi-Mawal-Velhe belt in Pune district. These, along with Lavasa and Aamby Valley, are part of the biodiversity-rich Sahyadri region.

A private firm, Maharashtra Valley View Private Limited (MVVPL), has evinced interest in developing resorts, holiday homes and a township in villages falling under Mulshi taluka under special regulations formulated for hill stations in November 1996.

Build more hill cities and kill the sahyadris. Hate this plan.

[livelyfire]

Originally Posted by amco_in

DSK Pune Motorwheels to set up bike plant in India

DSK Motorwheels in order to localise the production of 250cc 'Hysoung GT250R,' is planning to set up manufacturing plant in India.
The company intends to invest Rs 300 crore for the plant. The required funds will come through equity. However, the company has not finalised a location for the plant.

The company imports superbikes made by Hyosung Motors (renamed S&T Motors) of Korea as completely knocked down (CKD) kits and sells them in India.

While ex-showroom cost of the bike will be now Rs 2.75 lakh per unit, it can be reduced to around Rs 1.5 lakh-Rs 1.75 lakh after the local production

[livelyfire]

Locations like Pimple Nilakh in Pune proving beneficial to the real estate market.Situated in the western part of Pune, Pimple Nilakh is a suburb of Pimpri-Chinchwad . Located close to Mumbai-Pune expressway, Pimple Nilakh is accessible to places like Wakad, Hinjewadi, Baner, Aundh, Pimple Saudagar and Rahatni, among others. The nearest airport is the Lohegaon airport. I think it is going to be hot property in upcoming days.

[Cosmicbliss]

Originally Posted by p.raghavendra6

Build more hill cities and kill the sahyadris. Hate this plan.

Shame. Sahyadris must be preserved for generations and not chopped down.

[adam_india]

DCP Vishwas Pandhare talks about the various traffic issues in Pune city, about what the police is doing about it and what citizens can do to help the traffic police. He was speaking at the vehicle jammer handover function hosted by a non-profit citizens' group Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti (DGPS). In a novel initiative, DGPS raised money from ordinary citizens and donated 20+ jammers to the Pune traffic police.

[adam_india]

Civic body plans four farmers’ markets in city

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will set up dedicated farmers’ markets in the city to allow cultivators to sell directly to consumers so middlemen are cut out and both sellers and buyers get a good deal.
PMC will reserve space for markets in the revised development plan (DP) for the city.

“The concept of a market for farmers to sell their produce was introduced in Hadapsar when it was part of zilla parishad. It was successful, as farmers could get good returns with no middlemen involved, while customers too received a good deal,” City Improvement Committee chairman Chetan Tupe said.

The civic administration has presented its draft revised development plan for the city’s old parts to the committee. At least four farmers’ markets — which would be distinct from existing vegetable markets in that the producer would also be the seller and middlemen and stall contractors would have no role — would be set up, Tupe said.

Tupe met with environmentalists to discuss the draft DP today. “NGOs have made a few good suggestions, and they will be included in the revised DP,” he said. “There is a suggestion to set up stalls to sell recycled items, and a suggestion to recycle rubble generated in the reconstruction of buildings.”

Tupe said the civic administration had included most suggestions made by NGOs and experts in the revised DP.

The chairman said the revised DP would seek to address the need for cheap housing for the poor. “NGOs have assured us that they would not oppose highrise buildings to rehabilitate slumdwellers so the density of dwellings in slums is reduced,” he said.

The committee is meeting almost every day to clear the draft DP as soon as possible, Tupe said. “A presentation will be made to all political parties before it is approved by the committee and tabled in the general body.”

The 20-year tenure of the current DP ended in 2007. To ensure that the revised DP is prepared quickly, previous municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade had asked city engineer Prashant Waghmare to concentrate only on the plan, and taken away all his daily responsibilities.

Waghmare tabled the draft DP within a year, and is now seeking its approval before it is forwarded to the state government.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-n...n-city/967530/

[adam_india]

2,790 illegal banners removed

Total 2,790 illegal banners,hoardings and flex boards have been removed by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in the last three days.Cases have been registered against 13 people so far.
Banners,posters,flags,hoardings and flex boards were removed by the anti-encroachment department with the help of the sky signage department across four zones and 14 wards.Total 1,092 sign boards,986 banners and just five hoardings were removed.Legal issues are involved in removing hoarding,besides it is a time-consuming job.We did remove some hoardings but a separate drive will be held for it, said an official of the anti-encroachment department on very few hoardings being removed so far.
Additional PMC commissioner Anoop Kumar Yadav said the number of cases filed is low as compared to the number of boards removed because filling a complaint is a continuous process,We intend to clear all the illegal hoardings and banners in the city and the drive will continue for a few more days till the desired result of cleaning up the city is achieved.
Ramesh Shelar,head of the anti-encroachment department,said,Though the action is being taken across the city,more attention is being paid to specific areas where the number of boards is more.On Thursday,the focus was on Yerawada and Kothurd areas.
District guardian minister Ajit Pawar had on Tuesday ordered action against illegal banners in the city.

http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/...=&publabel=TOI

[adam_india]

7 illegal bldgs near Pavana river razed

The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) demolished seven buildings,including two multistoreyed constructions,near the Pavana river bed in Keshavnagar in a massive anti-encroachment drive on Thursday.The demolition drive began in the morning under heavy police bandobast and continued till evening.
The total area of the demolished constructions was 1,176 sq.m.said Makrand Nikam,PCMCs executive engineer.The civic body had sent notices to the owners of these constructions in March-April,directing them to remove them.But they didnt pay heed.Some constructions were in progress when the drive was conducted, Nikam added.
Eighty-five police personnel,including five inspectors and eight sub-inspectors,provided police bandobast to the drive.One State Reserve Police Force platoon was also deployed at the site.Two earthmovers,a forklift and a dumper were used in the drive.
The police restricted the movement of vehicles on the Chinchwadgaon-Keshavnagar-K alewadi roadduring the demolition drive.The people did not oppose to the drive as they were informed about it on Wednesday itself.
Shiv Sena corporators Shrirang Barne and Seema Savale have been demanding action against the unauthorized constructions in the Pavana river bed.They have been alleging that the encroachments in the riverbed will cause flooding in other areas.
During an inspection of the nullah cleaning works earlier this month,municipal commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi had also inspected the riverbed.We will continue the drive to remove encroachments in the river bed and nullahs.We have evidence and information about the encroachments, Pardeshi said.
About dumping of debris along the river,Pardeshisaid,People say that they are dumping debris in their own plots and not in the riverbed.The onus of proving that they are not dumping debris in the river bed

http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/...=&publabel=TOI

[adam_india]

General body wants ban on plastic carry bags enforced

The general body of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Monday directed the civic administration to strictly implement the ban on plastic carry bags imposed in 2010.

However, the general body decided to keep pending the proposal that fixed the amount to be charged from people seeking such carry bags from shops.

The civic administration mooted a proposal to fix rates for plastic carry bags having thickness of above 50 micron. A rate card of charges according to their thickness, size and shape was given. This came up for discussions on Monday.

"Right now, giving an alternative to plastic carry bags is a problem, so many still use them. If there is a high charge, it will prove a deterrent. So the proposal prescribing rates for plastic carry bags was tabled before the house," said deputy commissioner Suresh Jagtap.

A majority of corporators cutting across party lines demanded that the proposal be taken back by the civic administration, as implementation of the proposal will be harmful for environment.

Arvind Shinde, Congress leader in PMC, said that fixing a price for the plastic carry bags will send a wrong signal. "The proposal has not been drafted properly. Manufactures of the bags will get a chance to promote their business. A wrong message will be sent if the proposal is approved and it will promote use of plastic carry bags," he said.

Ashok Yenpure, leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in PMC, gave a supplementary stating that PMC should continue to act on the previous decisions related to the ban. "The general body in 2010 had decided that all types of plastic carry bags should be banned. So civic authorities should strict implement that decision. The proposal to fix the rates of carry bags should be kept on hold," the supplementary given by Yenpure read. It was approved by the general body.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/14621703.cms

[Cosmicbliss]

Originally Posted by adam_india

DCP Vishwas Pandhare talks about the various traffic issues in Pune city, about what the police is doing about it and what citizens can do to help the traffic police. He was speaking at the vehicle jammer handover function hosted by a non-profit citizens' group Deccan Gymkhana Parisar Samiti (DGPS). In a novel initiative, DGPS raised money from ordinary citizens and donated 20+ jammers to the Pune traffic police.

Speaking in Marathi, Hindi or English?

[adam_india]

JNNURM phase II: Civic body asks citizens to list needs for proper push to development plan

In a bid to encourage participation of citizens in the development of the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation has sought suggestions from the public in preparing a revised city development plan (CDP) under JNNURM second phase keeping in mind the needs of the city till 2041.
“PMC has started working on revising the CDP, which will be submitted to the Union government. It has been decided that feedback will be sought from all stakeholders before finalising the revised CDP,” said Pravin Ashtikar, deputy municipal commissioner and officer on special duty for JNNURM.

He said feedback from head of civic departments has been obtained and a meeting with social organisations and NGOs would soon be held.

“Feedback from public also plays a major role in planning the city’s future. Citizens will have to make suggestions regarding projects and services they expect from the civic body,” Ashtikar said.

The suggestions should be related to issues, strategies, projects and priorities along with the vision for Pune city. A proforma for the purpose has been posted on www.punecorporation.org and responses should be emailed at piu.jnnurmpune@gmail.com or submitted in writing at the office of JNNURM by July 13.

The PMC wants citizens to point out infrastructure issues related to water supply, sewerage, solid waste management, storm water drains, city environment, heritage areas and structures, roads, public transport system, health facilities, education facilities, institutional arrangement and governance and poverty alleviation.

Ashtikar said the citizens have been urged to suggest solutions to the problems described above as strategies and projects for better service delivery and for building quality infrastructure in the city. “Citizens should also give sector-wise priority to the issues that should be taken up by the PMC,” he added.

The PMC initiative is significant in the backdrop corporators claiming that they had not been involved in preparing CDP during phase one of JNNURM and citizens objecting to various projects that were underway.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-n...t-plan/970605/

[adam_india]

Anyone care to give it a try, let's at least try to come up with something.