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BMC's ad revenue doubled last Ganesh fest

Tuesday, 20 August 2013 08:57 administrator
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The Indian Express                20.08.2013

BMC's ad revenue doubled last Ganesh fest

Launches of housing projects and products helped the BMC double its advertisement revenue during last year's Ganeshotsav.

According to data, BMC's collections from hoardings, banners, posters and advertisements in 2012 was Rs 1.95 lakh as compared to Rs 1.04 lakh in 2011.

"Last year, we saw a stream of advertisements, largely from the housing sector. Many small and big projects were launched and Ganeshotsav is the most ideal time to advertise," said Uday Salian, spokesperson of Andhericha Raja Sarvanjanik Ganeshotsav Mandal.

According to a report by real estate consulting firm, Cushman & Wakefield, at the advent of the festive season during the third quarter of 2012, the city witnessed significant launches of around 7,250 units (much higher as compared to the first half of 2012), on account of uncertainty over Development Control (DC) Rules.

Dadar and Matunga in G-North ward topped the list of fee contributors to the BMC licence department with Rs 58,372, and R-south (Borivali-Kandivali) contributed Rs 24,836.

The number of mandals increased from 472 in 2011 to 520 in 2012.

"Real estate being very local, Ganesh mandals are ideal to advertise not only local projects but even big ticket projects which see an attractive investor base," said Pankaj Kapoor from real estate consulting firm Liases Foras.

Meanwhile, civic officials expect a further increase in advertising revenue as political hoardings have now been banned by the BMC. "We will allow political hoardings in Ganesh mandals, which would mean that these corporators typically pay for them," said a senior civic official.

 

Nashik Municipal Corporation and PWD make 'self-provisions' in supplementary budget

Monday, 19 August 2013 10:26 administrator
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The Times of India             19.08.2013

Nashik Municipal Corporation and PWD make 'self-provisions' in supplementary budget

NASHIK: The Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) and the public works department (PWD), along with the commissionerate of police, are reported to have made some provisions of funds for the Kumbh Mela from their own departments in the forthcoming supplementary budget, Nashik district supply officer Mahesh Patil told TOI on Sunday.

"The high-power committee (HPC) chaired by state chief secretary Jayantakumar Banthia had asked all the government agencies to make provisions of funds in the supplementary budget. Accordingly, the NMC is reported to have made a provision of Rs 158 crore, while the PWD has made a provision of Rs 325 crore in addition to the funds that were allocated to the respective departments in the state budget for the year

2013-'14," Patil said. The HPC is scheduled to meet on Monday for discussing the plan further, before it is presented to the apex committee headed by the chief minister.

Nashik revenue commissioner Ravindra Jadhav, NMC commissioner Sanjay Khandare, district collector Vilas Patil and other senior officials will attend the Mumbai meeting on Monday.

Patil said that the commissioner of police had also sanctioned some funds for closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to be installed in the city, but the exact amount was not conveyed so far. The Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC), the irrigation department, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran and others had failed to make any provisions in the supplementary budget prepared in July.

The National Highway Division has also made provisions for the 50-km Nashik-Peth Road and the widening of a 5-km stretch of highway between Dwarka and Datta Mandir Road, passing through Nashik city. As far as the Railways were concerned, the state government has decided to share 50 per cent of the development works to be carried out in the backdrop of Kumbh.

"None of the other departments have made any provisions in the supplementary budget," Patil said; letters sent to these departments seeking information on fund provisions haven't elicited any response.

The priority plan of Rs 2,297 crore for the Kumbh Mela, to be held in the district in 2015-'16, has been prepared. This is actually part of the massive Rs 4,900-crore plan prepared by all the agencies coming together. The priority plan, which has been approved by the HPC, concerns important infrastructural work to handle the large crowds that will be coming to Nashik during the Kumbh.

Expecting a crowd of more than one crore visiting Nashik and Trimbakeshwar in a day's time on some of the auspicious days, the administration has to have the transport, health, food and supplies in place. Government agencies have been churning these plans for the past two years. The time left for the execution of these is less than two years.

 

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's citizen helpline gets 400 calls in three days

Monday, 19 August 2013 09:59 administrator
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The Times of India             19.08.2013

Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's citizen helpline gets 400 calls in three days

PUNE: People can now benefit from a helpline service started by the PimpriChinchwad Municipal Corporation on August 15.

Municipal commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi said the citizens can call on the number 8888006666 to get information about municipal services, as well as documents they need to submit to avail of any service. The civic administration has uploaded information about the departments and printed a booklet giving details about each.

The municipal corporation has called this system SARATHI - System of Assisting Residents And Tourists through helpline information. The helpline service was inaugurated by deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on August 15.

Pardeshi said the state government has implemented the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation (MMC) Act, 1949, wherein each civic department has to give information about its functioning. Citizens face hassles and have to repeatedly visit the civic departments for completing their work. Hence, the civic administration has decided to operate a helpline which will work like a call centre.

At least 400 calls have been received at the SARATHI call centre so far. One of the complainants, who called up on August 15 to report low water pressure for the last several days, said, "My call was taken promptly. I was told that I will receive an SMS, which I got. I was also told that I will get constant updates on what is being done about my complaint. But till Sunday, I have got no updates."

Another complainant said that he did receive a response from the concerned department but the problem is yet to be resolved.

 
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