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indianexpress:  If the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) figures for the last three months (June-August) are to be believed, the automobile sector with major manufacturing hubs in the region is going through a recessionary phase.

Automobile industry, comprising the three giants and hundreds of ancillary units, contributes a share of 45-50 per cent to PCMC’s total octroi earnings. Out of the Rs 672 crore last fiscal, the automobile sector’s share was Rs 320 crore.

“The downturn in the automobile sector seems to have begun in June when the interest on vehicle loans increased. This put paid to the sales and in turn affected out revenue. When we enquired with the companies, we were told that the dipping sales was the reason behind less of payment of octroi, “ said PCMC’s octroi superintendent Vijaysinh Deshmukh.

The octroi paid by Tata Motors, the major revenue source for PCMC, has shown a dip, reiterating the argument that all’s not well with the automotive sector.

This, at a time when the PCMC has seen its octroi revenue for the first six months of the fiscal rise by Rs 54 crore to Rs 368.14 crore, as against Rs 313.45 crore in the year ago period. The target set for the full fiscal is Rs 790 crore as against Rs 672 crore collected in 2006-07.

Of this, the share of Tata Motors has been around Rs 250 crore, but since June this year, PCMC’s octroi earnings from Tata Motors has dipped appreciably. PCMC that had earned Rs 20.94 crore by way of octroi from Tata Motors last fiscal, had to be satisfied with Rs 16.50 crore this fiscal. The shortfall of Rs 4.44 crore could not be made good in the ensuing three months - July, August and September - as the PCMC against wound up earning Rs 2.55 crore less than the last fiscal from the automobile major.

indianexpress: The Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) has organised an awareness programme on the “Recent Amendments to the Package Commodity Rules 1976” in the MCCIA Tilak Road premises at 2.30 pm on Friday.

The programme will dwell on the recent changes in the package commodity rules requiring manufacturers, importers, packers and dealers to give consumer care details on the product labels. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs has issued a notice according to which the use of stickers for the purpose has been allowed till December 31.

The programme will be useful for the representative of Food Processing Industries and Entrepreneurs. Alka Sirohi, additional secretary from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and Mathurbootham, director of Legal Metrology have agreed to guide the participants. There is no participation fee for the programme, but prior registration is essential. For details and registration, contact Shri Lalit Waykole on 24440371.

indianexpress: Living up to one of the promises made at the round table conference organised by The Indian Express on September 19, the Pune Municipal Corporation on Saturday made available parking space for tourist buses. The conference was aimed at finding immediate solutions to city’s traffic and transportation problems.

At the conference, Municipal Commissioner Praveensinh Pardeshi had said that the PMC would make available parking space for tourist buses that are parked indiscriminately along roadsides, thereby adding to already existing traffic problem. In the Express wishlist presented to the commissioner at the conference, a ban on entry of inter-city luxury buses for pick up and parking was sought.

On Saturday, the PMC in a press release said that the tourist buses that enter and exit from southern part of the city (Bangalore, Goa, Kolhapur via Mumbai) and are parked at Swargate and Laxmi Narayan Chowk should be now parked at Survey No 588 Parvati-Sinhagad Road Parvati flyover and at Rajiv Gandhi Zoo on Satara Road. At Bibwewadi buses, should be parked at last bus stop in Upper Indiranagar. On Satara Road, the pay and park scheme for buses is in existence while contractors for pay and park would be appointed soon for other two parking places, the release stated.

“Once the bus parking at Laxmi Narayan Chowk and Swargate is stopped, the traffic congestion in this area will be reduced. The new parking for tourist buses will be operational from Sunday,” the release added.

The round table conference was a take-off on an eight-part series Chaotic Pune highlighting the city’s traffic woes that gnaws one and all.

indianexpress: To avoid shortfall in revenue collection through development charges by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) by giving concessions to eco-housing projects, the civic administration on Friday proposed 50 per cent hike in premium charges levied on balcony area of any building while sanctioning permission for the construction.

In a proposal, the civic administration said the PMC has framed a policy for promoting eco-housing in the city and proposed 25 per cent concession in the total premium charges while approving the proposal and additional 25 per cent concession after execution of at least four eco-friendly projects in the plan.

The PMC also plans to give concession in property tax for existing housing societies that implement at least four eco-housing projects, it said adding this will result in reduction in revenue collection through development charges.

The increase in premium charges on balcony will help the administration to recover the charges offered through concession, administration said.

Currently, the balcony premium charges for buildings in Zones A, B, C and D is Rs 1,500, Rs 1,800, Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 per square metre respectively. The new proposed premium charges for balcony will be Rs 2,250, Rs 2,700, Rs 1,500 and Rs 750 for Zones A, B, C and D.

indianexpress: As many as 150 fully grown trees have been found hacked inside the campus of the National Institute of Bank Management (NIBM) during a mid-night tree cutting drive, on Friday. The police, which is in the proces of lodging a complaint, wants either the civic administration or the forest department to come forward, before it gets into action.

A huge plot, dotted by an array of trees, bordering the neighbouring Clover Highland and Chandan Garden localities, now resembles a cricket ground. Three stumps stood in the middle of the ground this morning. Two JCBs were at work to level the ground and dispose off the axed trees.

Assistant commissioner of police (Wanavdi) division Ramesh Biwal said: “It’s a forest land which belongs to the government. A complaint will be registered against the NIBM if either the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) or the Forest Department approaches us with a complaint.” However, NIBM administrative officer A Sharma said, “No tree has been cut.” He refused to comment further.

Following directives from Municipal Commissioner Praveen Pardeshi, a team of PMC garden department officials conducted an inspection of the spot. Garden superintendent Yashwant Khaire said preliminary investigations have revealed that 11 big trees have been chopped down. “We have taken photographs of the site and conducted a panchnama,” he said, adding that PMC would slap a legal notice on NIBM on Monday.

The NIBM is currently embroiled in a property dispute involving a city businessman Ali Daruwala over a plot admeasuring 48,000 sq ft (1.5 acres) and valued at over Rs 10 crore. NIBM is located on a huge spread of over 60 acres of land, on a 99-year lease.

indianexpress: The space crunch at the University of Pune (UoP) boys hostel will soon be eased, with a new hostel building ready for use. The 360-student capacity hostel will be inaugurated by UoP vice-chancellor Narendra Jadhav at 10 on Monday morning.
Built on 5287.34 sq ft of land, the hostel building has three floors. Each of the 120 rooms is equipped with a joint toilet and bathroom and will accommodate three students. Admission will be given to first and second year students pursuing postgraduate degree courses within the UoP campus. The fee per student will be Rs 1,000 per term. The hostel was constructed at Rs three crore, according to chief rector A B Chakranarayan.