The Times of India          08.12.2010

PMC panel backs monorail project

PUNE: The monorail project, which was approved along with the metro rail project amidst major controversies a few months back, but was put on the back burner, is all set to get a major thrust with the Pune Municipal Corporation standing committee chairman, Arvind Shinde, on Tuesday asking the civic administration to invite offers from private firms and also seek details from the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority on how the project can be carried out in Pune.

While the build, operate and transfer committee of the PMC has already approved the monorail project, the PMC had not invited any tenders for the project. Standing committee members on Tuesday asked why the civic administration had not taken any action on the proposal. The members urged the corporation to undertake the project on design, build, operate and transfer basis. Corporator Ujjwal Keskar, however, said the PMC should not carry out the project in a hurry and under pressure from corporators as it would meet the same fate as the metro rail project.

Meanwhile, the standing committee has directed the civic administration to carry out a detailed survey on whether buildings with a height of over 15 metres have two staircases. As per the provisions in the development control rules, buildings having a height of more than 15 metres, must have two staircases for safety reasons. However, the norm has been violated in many cases, especially residential buildings.

The committee also discussed the issue of giving Rs 45 lakh to the Pune International Marathon event and the demand made by citizen groups that the entire expenditure details of the last five years be made public. While Shinde said that the details had been submitted to the PMC, civic officials said they have so far released only the prize money of Rs 22 lakh. The remaining amount of Rs 23 lakh has not yet been released, they added.