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indianexpress: Fancy sequence numbers for registration plates that were once reserved for politicians and VVIPs are finding mass appeal rapidly. This trend is helping the city’s Regional Transport Office (RTO) rake in money like never before.
The numbers speak for themselves in Pune: Between April and September, the RTO netted Rs 1.30 crore, selling these “choice” numbers to customers. Since the scheme began in 1999-2000, the RTO has collected Rs 7.86 crore for these select registration numbers. Out of this, around Rs 4.70 crore was collected after 2005.

“There is a lot of demand from the people for single digit registration numbers or sequences like 1111,9999 or 8118 or 8181. And this trend has especially increased in the last two years. During the holiday seasons, when people buy more vehicles, the demand for these numbers naturally increases,” said K R Heere, statistical assistant.

The demand for “choice” numbers has taken off across Pune division, which includes Solapur, Pimpri Chinchwad, Akluj and Baramati, but the money collected by the other RTOs come nowhere near Pune. While Pune has garnered over Rs seven crore, the total collection for Pimpri-Chinchwad since the scheme began, according to statistics available with the RTO, is Rs 65.6 lakh. Next comes Solapur with Rs 26.76 lakh collected till date.

Around 325 numbers have been earmarked by the RTO as the “select” list. Any number requested by the customer, not on the “special” number list, but which does not follow numerically is charged extra, but the tarrif is less. “Customers want their registration plates to reflect their lucky numbers, or dates that have special significance. Those not on the list are charged less,” said Heere.

“For four wheelers, the tariff is Rs 10,000 for select numbers and Rs 5,000 for ordinary numbers not on the list, but requested by the customer,” said Heere. For two wheelers, the tariff is Rs 4,000 and Rs 2,000 respectively.
 

indianexpress: The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB), which is in the process of compiling its electoral rolls for the ensuing elections, after the recent demarcation of the cantonment into eight wards, has already received over 300 applications for inclusion of names till the last day of giving application.

During the earlier update of electoral rolls in July this year, the board had received over 3000 applications.

The PCB officials attribute this sudden surge of applications to the board’s demarcation initiative, which they claim has been instrumental in making the cantonment residents “more aware” of their electoral rights.

In the July exercise the board had compiled a final list with 40,708 voters. “We had just disposed off around 3,222 applications that we had received, during the July exercise, when the board decided to demarcate the cantonment into eight wards in accordance with the Cantonment Electoral Rules, 2007,” said a PCB official.

Following the demarcation, a fresh exercise had been undertaken and within a short time, the PCB has received another 357 applications, from people who wish to enter their names into the list.

After the recent exercise, the total number of voters has risen to 42,000. Voters from the armed forces are yet to be included. “The defence personnel number around 6000 hence, so once they too are included the total number of voters is to be expected to be around 48,000,” said the official.

indianexpress: Passengers travelling by Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML) buses will soon see advertisements lining the handlebars. The PMPML has zeroed in on four new revenue generating ways through advertisement space that will add an extra Rs 18 lakh per month for five years to their coffers. “Work orders have already been issued to four different advertisement agencies. From March, revenue will start coming to us,” said joint managing director Aziz Karche.

From March, handlebars of the entire fleet of 1,200 buses will sport advertisement. Also for the first time, since the city buses were used as advertisement billboards, PMPML has commissioned a fleet of 126 brand new buses to be painted with ads entirely — called as solace ads. Until now, there has been an embargo on painting ads on buses that are less than two-year-old. This is the first time new buses on this large-scale are being used as billboards for advertisement.

Further, 20 Volvo and Star buses on the Katraj-Nigdi and the Katraj- Hadapsar routes will be installed with Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) TV and their windowpanes will carry advertisement films. “The LCD sets, which the agency will install, will feature information on PMPML, some entertainment, besides running advertisements. The ads on the window panes will be visible only from the outside and will not obstruct the view of the passenger,” he said. PMPML already generates close to Rs 30 lakh in advertisement revenue by getting ads placed in bus stops and terminals and its existing fleet of busses older than 2 years, said Ramakant Bokare, advertising incharge.

indianexpress:  Officials from the district collectorate are gearing up to hold talks with people in seven villages which will be acquired for the proposed international airport between Chakan and Rajgurunagar in Pune district.

With the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) being asked to acquire the land under Chapter 6 of the MIDC Act, 1961, the district officials are adopting a cautious approach in holding a dialogue with the villagers. According to a top officials, around 2500 hectares will be acquired by the MIDC for the proposed international airport between Chakan and Rajgurunagar along the Pune-Nashik highway. The villages include Waki Budruk, Pimpri Budruk, Chandoos, Kiwale, Koregaon Budruk, Shiroli and Wadgaon.

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Praful Patel had last month confirmed that the proposed international airport at Chakan-Rajgurunagar is on its way and the process for acquisition of land would start soon. He had even announced that the first flights at the airport would land by 2010-11. The district officials are now doing their part. “Since no acquisition can take place without the consent of the local people, we are treading very slowly.

Post-Nandigram we are being extra careful,’’ said a senior official. With these being preliminary talks, there will be suggestions and objections invited from the would-be affected people after which the joint measurement of the area will be carried out by the district officials and the MIDC. “The land will be notified only after section 32 (2) of the MIDC Act which calls for objections and 32(1) when the objections have been sorted out and the final notification is done,’’ said the collectorate official.

indianexpress: After a fair share of glitches and confusion last year, the All India Engineering Entrance Examination (AIEEE) seems to have created problems yet again, bringing into focus the increasing numbers of students registering for the examination in the State, and the lack of sufficient infrastructure to deal with it.

As many as 4,000 students were forced to stand in line in front of the Laxmi Road branch of the Syndicate Bank for several hours on Tuesday, waiting to buy registration forms. This was after they had been turned away twice since the sale of forms began on Friday. A team of police officials had to be deployed at the spot to control the crowd on the congested Laxmi Road.

AIEEE is a centralised admission test for standard XII students seeking admission into engineering colleges across the country, and is administered by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in Delhi. While the examination is scheduled to be conducted on April 27, and the last date for submitting forms is January 5.

Of a total of five centres across Maharashtra, the Syndicate Bank (Laxmi Road branch) was the only centre in Pune where the sale of forms began on Friday. “However, the stock of forms got over on the first day itself, and we were told it would be available again on Monday. On Monday, we were again told that forms were not available, which is why we came today,” said a student, who had to stand in line for over seven hours.

Students began queuing up outside the bank as early as 6 am, while the form sale was to begin at 10 am. “Despite this, it began only at 11.30, and went on till 4 pm,” said another student. Police were brought in at 11 am to make sure the crowds did not go out of hand.

indianexpress:  Even as 150 final year medical students of B J Medical College and Sassoon General hospital donated blood as part of the ongoing protest against the extension of MBBS course from five and a half to six and a half years on Tuesday around 24,000 students from 33 private and government colleges in Maharashtra have threatened to go on an hunger strike from December 7.

Dr Rahul Bagade, president of the Maharashtra State Medical Students Association (MSMSA) and a final year student at BJMC said that they were also protesting against the compulsory appointment of medical students (not registered as doctors) for rural services. Dr Rahul Talele, general secretary of the MSMSA said that they have demanded that the Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss should abandon the scheme.

Prolonging the course is an extra burden on our families as most of us hail from middle class economic families. It also deprives us of permanent job opportunities as Primary Health Centre (PHC) medical officers as the Minister has proposed abolishing the appointment of regular fully qualified registered doctors in villages, Bagade said.

“What is the point of sending us as trainee doctors to villages when we do not even have the authority to prescribe medications for common ailments or even perform minor surgeries such as drainage of pus from an abscess. This authority is only vested in a registered medical practitioner. Instead of wasting the student’s year by extending the course why does the government not appoint as medical officers in areas where there is a great need for doctors,’’ students pointed out.