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indianexpress: Buyers would have to pay a steep price to find accommodation in the skyscrapers even as the decision of Pune City Improvement Committee (CIC) in 2006 to allow high-rise buildings with a maximum height of 100 metres hoping that it will help ease the demand for residential and commercial real estate and also keep price inflation under control is proving to be misplaced. Instead, what’s on the cards is a rise by at least 50 per cent for apartments in high-rise structures as compared to regular buildings.
 
Rohit Gera, of Gera builders said that very few high-rise buildings are likely to come up in Pune. “Only those who can afford to pay extra cost and are that keen to stay in high-rise structures will go for it,” he said. The incremental rise in cost would be such that a 1000 sq ft apartment costing approximately Rs 65-70 lakh in a prime locality like Koregaon Park will now cost close to Rs 1 crore in a high-rise building, he said.

The Promoters and Builders Association of Pune has dubbed the proposal as ‘impractical’ and a section of builders feel there is not much scope for skyscrapers in the city. “ Though flats in high-rise building will be in demand in the first few years, the cost would be unaffordable for common people as construction cost for high rise is much more,” said Sanjeev Wani, partner of Amit Enterprises.

He said that the state government has laid down many stringent rules and regulations for the construction of the high-rise structures, which need to be relaxed to make the proposal attractive to the people. The high-rise buildings are required to make extra provision to secure the structure against natural calamities like earthquake; water supply, sewage, elevators and internal safety measures also require additional investment, say builders.

indianexpress:  The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) standing committee on Tuesday approved the long-pending proposal of 50 per cent hike in premium charges levied on the balcony area of a structure even as it continues to give rebate of 50 per cent in total premium while sanctioning the project.

The PMC policy for promoting eco-housing in the city recommends 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.

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

“The proposal was approved with the amendment that the owner of a plot up to 5,000 square feet area who develops the plot for personal use will have to pay no premium,” standing committee chairman Bapu Pathare said. The eco-housing policy of PMC urges execution of eco-friendly measures like solar water system, vermicomposting pit and rainwater harvesting.

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

indianexpress: Noted historian and author Babasaheb Purandare has been selected for the prestigious ‘GaDiMa’ Puraskar instituted by the GaDiMa Pratishthan in the memory of eminent author GD Madgulkar. The award includes a cash prize of Rs. 10,000, a memento and a certificate.

Purandare, who studied history under veteran historian Datto Vaman Potdar, dedicated his life to the study of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He toured the forts of Maharashtra by foot or by cycle, which finally led to the popular narrative of Shivaji’s life titled Shiv Charitra. Purandare also has to his name many poems and songs, as well as plays like Mauj Ahe, Smile Please and Ajinkya Mee. He has previously been awarded the Chaitraban Puraskar.

Among other honours to be awarded by the GaDiMa Pratishthan this year is the ‘Gruhini Sakhi Sachiv Puraskar’ that is given to wives of eminent personalities who have carved a niche for themselves while managing the home front. This year the award will be presented to Disha Kelkar, wife of internationally acclaimed linguist Ashok Kelkar. Other recipients of this award include Sunita Deshpande, Sadhana Amte, and Mangala Naralikar.

The ‘GaDiMa’ Snehabandha Puraskar will be presented to Nagnath Naikwadi for his contribution in the independence struggle and illustrious political career post independence

indianexpress:  IN a major revelation, the octroi department — which contributes maximum to the revenue collection of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and having a target of Rs 745 crore for 2007-08 — is found to be without basic infrastructure at its various check post through out the city.

Six of the total 36 octroi posts do not have electricity, water or toilets for the staff members on duty. Only 10 octroi posts have facility of drinking water while eight of them have toilets in their vicinity. Replying to a query by Shiv Sena corporator Prithviraj Sutar, the civic administration said that there are 36 octroi post of PMC in the city with 10 of them registering the collection of Rs 10 crore in 2006-07.

However, the basic infrastructure is in poor condition as only eight octroi posts have all the facilities of electricity, water and toilets. Incidentally, two of the octroi posts at Mundhwa and Kalas with collection of over Rs 10 crore in 2006-07 does not have toilet while that at Mundhwa does not have drinking water facility.

A total of 28 octroi posts does not have toilets while 26 octroi posts does not have drinking water facility and six on them don’t have electricity.

The civic administration is planning for improving the basic infrastructure of the octroi posts

indianexpress:  It’s not just about fine tuning vocal chords of singers, actors and telephone operators. At the Vasant Oswal Voice Clinic at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital, the first specialised clinic in the country devoted to voice, Dr Sachin Gandhi’s work also includes the surgical removal of the larynx and conducting airway surgeries for babies who cannot breathe. The surgical removal of the larynx or laryngectomy is a traumatic experience for the patient not only because of the loss of a vital organ but also because of the loss of the power of speech. The laryngeal cancer patient, who is already mentally depressed due to his disease, finds himself in a socially unacceptable position after losing his voice.
 
Thus, the voice rehabilitation of laryngectomised patients is an essential part of rebuilding their lives after surgery, said Gandhi.

At the Vasant Oswal Voice Clinic, we are actively involved in helping the laryngectomised patient to learn to “speak” all over again. There are a number of options available for the patient to regain the ability to communicate verbally, said Gandhi.

Now, 60 voice specialists will get training at the 6th International Voice Conference (Voicecon ’07) from November 22 to 25. Three days hands on course on evaluation and management of voice disorders will be held at the conference, said Gandhi, course director of Voicecon ’07.

indianexpress: THE police commissionerate has issued a notice to owners of private security agencies to apply for the mandatory licences from the commissioner’s office in accordance with Maharashtra Private Security Agencies Act 2007.
 
The commissionerate has asked the security agencies to procure the mandatory licence from the commissioner’s office and warned that strict action would be taken against those who do not seek it.

The police have appealed to the public to inform them about those security agencies operating without the licence and said the names of the informants would be kept a secret.

Joint police commissioner Rajendra Sonawne had recently said that security agencies in city operate without the mandatory police or a firearm licence. The police had held a meeting with representatives of security agencies in the city where the issue was discussed. Sonawne had maintained that the city police did not have the exact figures on the number of agencies or security guards. A total of 25 No Objection Certificates (NOC) were required to obtain the police licence, Sonawne said.

indianexpress: Sharatchandra Manohar Bhalerao’s extensive travels to rivers throughout India during his career may have been restricted to fulfilling his role as engineer and consultant with various irrigation and water projects. But it was his love and deep sense of awe for the country’s rivers and their influence on the Indian consciousness that became the final inspiration for his lifetime’s work: perhaps the first ever Encyclopedia on Indian Rivers in Marathi.

Bhalerao did not live to see his dream through to its logical end. He died in February 2006, leaving behind him 16 years of painstaking research and an unpublished encyclopedia. But his research associate Anuja Joshi carried his work forward and today, the book is in its final stages of publication. Brought out by the city-based Diamond Publications, the book is slated for release by the end of the year, complete with rare maps and photographs.

The Bharatiya Sarita Kosh, as it is called, includes detailed information on all scientific, cultural, historic and even spiritual aspects of the country’s 3,271 rivers. From detailed descriptions and classification of rivers and their tributaries to their earliest references in the Rig Veda, the encyclopedia contains everything one needs to know about rivers.