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Hoarding-free roads mean revenue loss: Pune Municipal Corporation

Friday, 13 December 2013 11:37 administrator
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The Times of India            13.12.2013

Hoarding-free roads mean revenue loss: Pune Municipal Corporation

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has said that it will not be advisable to convert arterial roads into hoarding-free zones because they are a good source of revenue.

Avinash Bagwe, Congress corporator, had submitted a proposal to the standing committee in November to demarcate hoarding-free stretches and remove illegal hoardings in the city. The committee then sent the proposal to the civic administration for a review.

Rajendra Jagtap, PMC additional commissioner , said the administration has considered two factors: civic rules and regulations and the revenue hoardings generate. "All roads can be made hoardings-free, but the corporators will have to seek the general body's consent," he said.

Months after the high court directed a crackdown on illegal banners in the city, political and social groups are back to dotting the city's skyline with hoardings, which come up mostly during festivals. A civic official said the administration has acted against the violators.

The issue came into focus on March 14 this year when the Bombay high court set a 24-hour deadline for civic bodies in the state to remove such banners. The court had ordered the civic bodies to submit an action-taken report by March 15, along with evidence.

A bunch of PILs pertaining to illegal hoardings in cities such as Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Mira Bhayander and Satara had come up for hearing before a high court bench comprising justices A M Khanwilkar and A P Bhangale.

Civic activists feel that the initiative to make the roads hoarding-free is good, but it will be effective only when it is implemented on a large scale. "Willingness of the elected members and the civic administration is needed to carry out such a drive," said Vivek Velankar, founder of the citizens' group Sajag Nagrik Manch.

Civic officials said they have been taking actions against illegal advertising boards. The actions were taken across the city where flex boards, banners, posters and hoardings were removed.

Visual pollution

The civic administration had carried out a survey of illegal hoardings in June. Over 750 hoardings were rectified to comply with the parameters laid down by the civic body. Officials have started recovering money from owners of hoardings after rectification.

Number of legal hoardings: 1,200

Revenue generated: From Rs 8 crore to Rs 30 crore

 

32,000 unassessed properties in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad

Friday, 13 December 2013 11:34 administrator
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The Times of India            13.12.2013

32,000 unassessed properties in Pune, Pimpri Chinchwad

PUNE: There are around 32,000 residential and commercial properties unassessed for property tax in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad, revealed two separate surveys conducted by the municipal corporations. Of the 32,000 properties, 10,000 are in Pune municipal limits, while the remaining is in Pimpri Chinchwad.

"So far, we have found around 10,000 properties, but we are expecting an addition of 5000 properties. All these properties come under the property tax net. The municipal corporation hopes to get an additional property tax of about Rs 10 crore per year from the 10,000 unassessed properties,'' said Hemant Nikam, head of the PMC's property tax department. He added that most of these properties are from the fringe areas of the city.

The PMC started the survey mid-November and will continue till the end of this month, he said.

The PCMC, which started the survey three months back, has found around 22,000 unassessed properties. The civic body is looking at change in the use of properties from residential to commercial, and whether any changes or extensions have been made in the constructions. So far, 24,000 properties have been found in which the owners have made changes and extensions, said municipal commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi on Tuesday.

There are 3.25 lakh properties registered with the property tax department, however, the municipal corporation believes that the number of properties is more as the population has increased to 17.5 lakh. According to an estimate by the PCMC, there are around five lakh properties in the municipal limits. Pardeshi said the civic body has surveyed 2.24 lakh properties till now. The tax assessment of the unassessed properties will be conducted.

PCMC assistant commissioner Bhanudas Gaikwad, who is the chief of property tax department, said the survey is expected to end by December 15. There are 355 teams conducting the survey. The enumerators have been provided with forms that need to be filled by the citizens with information on the property, the property holders' details and contact numbers, type of property, type of construction, usage, and whether tax assessment has been done.

 

Civic body acts tough on vendors in Chauta Bazaar

Friday, 13 December 2013 11:16 administrator
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The Times of India            13.12.2013

Civic body acts tough on vendors in Chauta Bazaar

SURAT: Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has asked the roadside vendors in the city's oldest Chauta Bazaar to vacate the market by December 15.

The central zone officials on Thursday pasted notices at various locations in the market warning the vendors of action if they fail to vacate the lanes.

The SMC had started the exercise of making city's oldest bazaar free from hawkers and roadside vendors 20 days ago.

Chauta Bazaar, which is also known as 'women's market', has a presence of over 2,000 pavement vendors and it remains crowded throughout the day. However, most of the upmarket customers prefer shopping malls to Chauta Bazaar as they have to wriggle their way out of the crowded streets.

Surat General Hospital, the oldest hospital in Chauta Bazaar, was on the verge of closing down its emergency and other medical services as there was not enough parking space for its ambulance and other vehicles, sources said.

Chauta Bazaar's history dates back to early 1700s. The present day Mota Mandir in Chauta was known as Vaishnao Haveli (temple).

Women folks visiting the temple would go shopping for utensils, clothes, cosmetics, grocery and other day-to-day household goods at the shops in the vicinity. These shops were owned by Vaishnao traders.

At present, Chauta Bazaar houses over 800 retail shops. The colourful boards of the retail outlets have been shrouded behind huge tarpaulin and makeshift roofs of pavement vendors. "We have pasted notices at the main spots in the entire market asking the vendors to vacate latest by December 15,After that we plan to remove them with the help of policemen," a senior SMC officer said.

Nitin Thakar, BJP councillor from Sonifalia-Gopipura ward, said, "The oldest commercial marketplace lost its charm when the vendors started encroaching the pavements three decades ago. Today, it is difficult to even ride a bicycle because of hawkers.

It is a wise decision on the part of the civic authorities to clear the market of hawkers."

 
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