Urban News

Indian Express 20.01.2010

Civic body panel okays Metro plan

The standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Tuesday passed a resolution seeking Rs 2,400 crore from the state and union governments for the first phase of Metro rail in the city that will cost Rs 5,998 crore.

The proposal said the project will be taken up jointly by the PMC and the neighbouring Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) with financial assistance of 20 per cent each from the state and union governments. The resolution will be finally approved at the civic general body meeting.

“The proposal of a special purpose vehicle to set up Pune Metro Rail Corporation Ltd for the first phase of the proposed metro rail service was approved by the standing committee today,” said Nilesh Nikam, chairman of the committee.

He said the project would be implemented jointly by PMC and PCMC with both the civic bodies sharing five per cent each of the project cost through budgetary allocation while seeking financial assistance of 20 per cent each from state and union governments.

It said the rest of the funds for Pune Metro can be raised from property development alongside the metro rail track, charging 50 per cent cess for new vehicle registration in the city, surcharge of fuel, cess on companies having over 100 employees and surcharge of star hotels.

The civic administration had proposed that the civic body should accept the detailed project report (DPR) of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) project and implement it either through public private partnership or built operate transfer basis

The first phase of 31.52 km of the project includes 16.59-km Pimpri-Chinchwad to Shivajinagar route and 14.93-km Vanaz to Pune Station route. The estimated cost for the first phase is Rs 5,998 crore. On June 9 last year, the DMRC had submitted its preliminary report on metro rail in Pune and final report on September 4.

“The standing committee has approved the proposal hoping that it would be cleared in the next civic general body meeting immediately so that it could be sent to the union government for financial assistance in the next year budget,” Nikam said, adding that the process of next budget of union government is going on and the proposal should reach on time for consideration.

Corporator Ujjwal Keskar said the civic administration was hushing up the proposal without holding a discussion on it.

“The civic administration has not yet made the final report public and was going ahead with approving the proposal. The DMRC report cannot be accepted as it is,” he added.

The DMRC has mentioned that the project cannot be feasible considering the present population density of the city, he said, adding that the proposal to give four floor space index for structures alongside the tracks of metro rail will lead to increase in the population and put strain on the existing civic infrastructure.

NCP leader Anil Bhosale said the proposal passed by the standing committee could be amended later as per the requirements of the PMC and there was no problem of it being cleared now.

The Hindu 20.01.2010

Bus-stands to be upgraded across State

Staff Correspondent

Bright beginning: Minister for Transport R. Ashok at the inauguration of the training facility in Hassan on Tuesday.

HASSAN: Minister R. Ashok has said that all existing bus-stands in cities and towns serving as district headquarters will be upgraded and equipped with facilities. The Minister inaugurated a 62-sq. acre training facility of the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) built at a cost of Rs. 5 crore on Ring Road here.

Addressing the gathering at the inaugural function on Tuesday, the Minister also reiterated the KSRTC’s commitment to safety, and to provide amenities for passengers.

Mr. Ashok said that the Government had appointed 20,225 personnel as drivers, conductors, mechanics, accounts clerks and other staff.

The Minister said that all drivers would undergo refresher courses at the facility in order to ensure better safeguards against accidents.

He also announced that the ladders on buses would be removed in order to prevent rooftop travel on mofussil routes.

Mr. Ashok also commended the actions of a KSRTC driver from Bangalore, Abdul Razak, who had a massive heart attack while driving, but still ensured that the bus was parked safely. The bus driver later died. However, his son would be given appointment in the KSRTC. The Minister also announced that an award of Rs. 25,000 would be announced for a commitment to safety on the line of duty. Mr. Ashok said the training academy would not only admit drivers from the KSRTC and government departments, but also drivers from private institutions. He said that although private driving schools had mushroomed all over the State, they did not function properly. Hence, the KSRTC would start its own driving schools in all districts, he said.The Minister appealed to Janata Dal (Secular) leader Revanna to use his good offices to get a flyover sanctioned to the new bus-stand in Hassan as the Hassan-Mangalore railway track crossed the new bus-stand road.

Mr. Revanna said that farmers had given their land to the academy at a throwaway price of Rs. 20,000 an acre (the cost is now Rs. 1 crore an acre) and appealed to the Minister to provide employment to at least one member from each land loser’s family. Hassan MLA H.S. Prakash was present.