The Times of India 24.11.2009

PMC set to roll out work on final development of JM, FC roads

Snehal Sonawane Sawant, TNN 24 November 2009, 04:14am IST

PUNE: Now that the authorities have embarked upon the task of removing the dividers on Jangli Maharaj and Fergusson College roads, the PMC and the traffic police have made plans to have enough space for all types of road users.

A dedicated bus lane on the extreme left of the road, a walking promenade and a cycle track at the other end and motor-vehicle lanes in the centre is what the road will have in a couple of months.

Speaking to TOI, Madhav Latkar, development engineer (roads) said that the plans have been prepared for end-to-end development of JM and FC roads to make it easier and safer for motorists and pedestrians and accessible for public transport users.

The civic officials are in the process of seeking final and formal approval for the plan from the standing committee, work on which will begin soon after the dividers on both the roads are removed.

The roads were made one-ways in August on an experimental basis and it was decided to go ahead with the system in October. The work of removing the dividers has begun and this will ensure that the carriage way of the roads becomes wider.

"All that remains is the micro finalisation of the plan and then we will start work. We are still working out the final details regarding road side parking. Road side parking is likely to be allowed only on one side of the road since there is already one PMC parking lot on FC road and a multi-storied parking facility on JM road," Latkar said.

A safe walking promenade and a cycle track is what the PMC has planned to develop on the other end of the road.

"We want to develop the walking area with utmost care so that it is safe and walking becomes a good experience for citizens. It will be one of a kind. However, completion of the infrastructure development will take some time," Latkar said.

The bus lane and the rest of the traffic will be separated by a short and sturdy concrete divider of about nine inches in height, which won't be a hassle for pedestrians to cross.

"The lanes will merge at big intersection squares like the Agriculture college chowk so that it will be easier for buses to turn right. The small concrete dividers will be absent here," Latkar said.

Latkar did not furnish details as to when exactly the work will be completed.

However, citizens are sceptical about the PMC's grand plans and refuse to believe it until they see it.

Siddharth Pendse a pedestrian on FC road said, "We often here about big plans from the civic body. But it takes years for something to actually materialise. In this case too, they just made the road one way one fine day and now they are going to work on it. Let's see what happens. No roads in the city are pedestrian-friendly."

Indian Express 19.11.2009

Janakpuri freed of encroachments finally

MC goes ahead with the drive despite thumbs down from deputy speaker Gosain

A determined anti-encroachment drive today breathed a new life into congested Janakpuri market with its roads having been cleared of all encroachments and traffic movement streamlined consequently. “We have never seen the MC roads so wide,” exulted a shopkeeper apparently relieved at the successful completion of the drive.

The MC team today ignored the pressure brought upon them by deputy speaker Satpal Gosain, who on Wednesday evening had asked the MC officials to give one month’s more time to the shopkeepers to clear the encroachments. This area falls under the deputy speaker’s constituency. As if to send the message across, the MC even demolished 10-feet encroachment done outside the MLA, Harish Bedi’s office.

Today, a team of 300 persons, including 150 police personnel, today carried out a massive anti-encroachment drive in Janakpuri market and demolished more than 100 structures. The encroachments ranging from 10 feet to 20 feet were demolished and even the debris was also cleared within few hours. The operation was carried out under the supervision of joint commissioner MS Jaggi, who categorically told his staff that “pick and choose” policy will not be adopted and no one will be returning back empty-handed from the operation. The motivated staff thus provided the results despite the protests by the shopkeepers.

Most of the encroachments demolished were in the form of stairs, ramps or extended shutters outside the shops which had made the road very narrow and it was very often leading to traffic jams

Meanwhile it needs to be mentioned that yesterday in a meeting conducted in the Circuit House by Satpal Gosain, deputy speaker, MLA Harish Bedi and cabinet minister Hira Singh Gabria, more time was sought for the shopkeepers to comply with MC orders.

Commissioner A.K Sinha, meanwhile, had given two-day time for the markets where the shopkeepers themselves are demolishing their encroachments and for the rest markets he had advised that drive would continue as normal.

Jaggi, told Newsline,,”In the past, the shopkeepers used to mount protests whenever our teams went there to demolish the structures. But today we did not relent. Encroachments need to go from the city.”