Urban News

  • Increase font size
  • Default font size
  • Decrease font size
India Newspapers

PMC plans policy to give out cycles, material for study

Monday, 17 February 2014 07:44 administrator
Print PDF

The Times of India          17.02.2014

PMC plans policy to give out cycles, material for study

PUNE: The allotment of cycles and educational material to students in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) schools could come in time in future. The civic administration has planned a policy for time-bound distribution.

"There are several issues when it comes to allotment of educational material. Absence of pre-planning is delaying the distribution. Ultimately, students suffer. So, the standing committee has taken a call to form a policy for allotment of these materials," said Shrinivas Kandul, head of PMC's store department, told TOI.

He added that the policy will be drafted and tabled before the standing committee. It will have a detailed timeline about issuing tenders, giving work orders, procurement of material and then its distribution.

The timetable should be formed in such a manner that the material reaches the schools around May or June, before the start of the new academic year. Apart from cycles, the policy will also be useful for dress materials.

After a long hiatus, the proposal to allot bicycles to students in PMC-run secondary schools was approved at the standing committee earlier this month.

The civic body had announced a scheme in early 2013 to provide free bicycles to students from standards VII to X. It had also made a provision of Rs 1 crore for it in the budget. But lack of response to tenders by the traders delayed the procurement.

Students can expect to get the cycles by March. However, students who receive these bicycles will not be able to avail of the free travel facility in PMPML buses. The distributor selected by the civic body will provide the cycles for Rs 3,520 each, with tyres, tubes and chains bearing the ISI mark. Further maintenance of the cycles will also be undertaken by the distributor.

"The civic administration has details of the average yearly demand for cycles and educational material. We can at least start 50% of the procurment before time so that we can start the distribution on time," said Vishal Tambe, chairman of the standing committee.

The urban community development department has also asked for an additional 556 cycles, taking the total up to 3,078. The total expense has now reached Rs 1.08 crore, but as the budget allocation is Rs 1 crore, only 2,840 cycles will be procured.

 

PCMC moots separate cell for riverfront development

Monday, 17 February 2014 07:36 administrator
Print PDF

The Times of India          17.02.2014

PCMC moots separate cell for riverfront development

PUNE: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) will set up a cell to develop the riverfront areas. Municipal commissioner Rajeev Jadhav said the civic body will clean up and beautify the areas around Pavana, Indrayani and Mula rivers.

"The civic administration has already prepared a Pavana river development plan and sent it to the union government for approval. We will begin the development in the new fiscal by undertaking small portions of the plan which do not need much funds and can be completed by us," he said.

The civic body will landscape the rivers' banks. "We will study the bunds and conditions around them before considering the proposal to start boating," Jadhav said.

Six arterial roads will be developed as model roads. Jadhav said, "These roads are 45m wide.

They are Pune-Mumbai highway, Spine Road, and the three Bus Rapid Transit System routes in Sangvi-Kiwale, Nashik phata-Wakad and Kalewadi phata-Dehu Alandi." The engineering and garden departments have been told to develop these roads. 

 

Navi Mumbai civic body expecting land parcel worth Rs 1,000 cr from Cidco

Monday, 17 February 2014 07:33 administrator
Print PDF

The Times of India          17.02.2014

Navi Mumbai civic body expecting land parcel worth Rs 1,000 cr from Cidco

NAVI MUMBAI: The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is banking on creating asset whose value would be in the range of Rs 1,000 crore from the land that the City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco) is expected to handover them.

Speaking to TOI after presenting the civic budget, NMMC chief Abasaheb Jarhad said, "We are expecting Cidco to handover nearly 400 plots to the NMMC. The plots given by Cidco will be used for health, education and other public services. Once these plots are transferred to the NMMC, the civic body is likely to create a land bank whose value would be nearly Rs 1,000 crore."

When asked about the civic body's plans to utilize the land bank, Jarhad said that it is too early to speak about the road map. "But, satellite city is growing at a rapid pace. Soon, it will need more hospitals, educational institutions and public utility services. So, utilization of these plots will be planned accordingly," added Jarhad.

However, urban planner do not see these plan materializing anytime soon as there is unseen tension between the two government agencies-CIDCO and NMMC. "The tussle and lack of coordination between two agencies certainly affects the region," one of the urban experts said on condition of anonymity. He added that unless this tension is eased, CIDCO handing over the plots to NMMC would not happen anytime soon.

In fact, the two agencies are at loggerheads to such extend that last year in December, NMMC corporators demanded the ouster of CIDCO from the satellite city. NCP corporator Vaibhav Gaikwad had on record crticised CIDCO for putting hurdles in the development work of the NMMC.

However, Jarhad refuted the allegation and claimed that he is quite confident of getting these plots from the CIDCO in coming years.

According to the political observers, Thane guardian minister Ganesh Naik and his family members' controls reins of Navi Mumbai region. "But the Naik clan has failed to make material impact or control CIDCO's administration," the political observer added. CIDCO is part of the urban development department (UD) and chief minister Prithviraj Chavan heads the UD department. While NCP heavyweight from Navi Mumbai--Naik is state excise minister in Prithviraj Chavan led DF government.

We are expecting Cidco to handover nearly 400 plots to the NMMC. The plots given by Cidco will be used for health, education and other public services. Once these plots are transferred , the civic body is likely to create a land bank whose value would be nearly Rs 1,000 crore.

 
More Articles...


Page 252 of 4907