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TOI : PUNE: The city police continued to be on their toes on Thursday to trace Pakistan’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agent Mohammed Syed Desai, who went missing from the Sahakarnagar police station on Wednesday. Police teams have also been sent to Kolhapur and other cities.

Desai, who was released from the Yerawada central prison on October 27, 2007 after serving his term for a spying offence, was under surveillance at the at the Sahakarnagar police station for the last three months.

Deputy commissioner of police R S Khaire said police teams have been sent to other cities.

Meanwhile, the hearing on a contempt petition filed by Desai at the sessions court was postponed for a day because of his absence. Desai had filed the petition last month against city police chief and the CBI for their alleged failure in deporting him to Pakistan, as per the court directive, within ten days of his release.

Earlier this month, Desai had also resorted to a hunger strike to press his demand.
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TOI : PUNE: The Marathi cinema scenario has been looking up for sometime now, but what also comes as a shot in the arm is that a Marathi film has been selected for screening for the first time in the history of the 37-year-old International Film Festival of Rotterdam.

What’s more, Valu (The Bull), directed by Umesh Kulkarni, is the only Indian film that has been allotted four screenings during the festival. It will be screened under the ‘Time and Tide’ section of the festival, which showcases films from all corners of the world that show the social commitment of their makers in a wide range of ways.

The festival will also have other Indian films such as Khoya Khoya Chaand (Sudhir Mishra), King Lear (Rituparno Ghosh) and Four Women (Adoor Gopalkrishnan).

Interestingly, the timing couldn’t be better for Valu as it will have a Maharashtra-wide release on Friday and will have a worldwide premier when it is screened at the festival on January 29. The film will also be screened on January 30, 31 and February 2.

Valu is a humorous account of the situation that arises when forest officials come to catch a wild bull that has been creating havoc in a small village.

The film comes as a landmark of sorts for Marathi cinema considering it is also the first Marathi film for which Mukta Arts had recently taken over the negative and worldwide distribution rights.

The team had an idea that such an honour could come their way when Valu received The Hubert Bals Fund - an initiative of the International Film Festival Rotterdam that provides grants to remarkable cinema projects in various stages of completion…More

TOI : PUNE: Former city youth Congress chief Sanjay Balgude was arrested by the police on Thursday afternoon for allegedly blackening the face of Dr Satish Desai. Balgude was subsequently released on bail. Desai is the working committee member of the Maharashtra Sahitya Parishad.

Motorcyclist killed: A 25-year old youth, Hashik Feroze Khan, was killed and a 17-year-old girl as seriously injured when their motorcycle was hit by a PMT bus on Alandi road near TB2 ground around 10.45 am on Wednesday. Khan, a resident of Lohiyanagar, was riding the bike. The injured girl has been admitted to a hospital. Bus driver Ashok Ganpat Ghuge was arrested.

House burgled: Electronic goods and gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 1.27 lakh were stolen from a house at Anand Park, Bhairavnagar in Vishrantwadi. The theft took place sometime between Tuesday night and Wednesday afternoon. The house was locked at the time of the incident.
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TOI : PUNE: Elected office-bearers of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) could soon be receiving as much as Rs 40,000 per month against car allowance, provided they stopped using official vehicles.

A proposal to this effect, tabled by the civic administration, was approved by the general body on Thursday.
While it was originally proposed to pay Rs 30,000 to the leader of the House and Rs 17,000 to chairpersons of civic sub-committees and ward office committees, the elected members proposed an amendment to hike the allowance to Rs 40,000 and Rs 25,000 respectively.

The facility is optional and the PMC will continue to provide official cars to those who do not wish to opt for the monthly allowance.

The move had been made in a bid to cut down on administrative expenses on the salaries of the drivers and maintenance of vehicles.

Officials who are currently provided with municipal cars include the mayor, deputy mayor, leader of the House, leader of the opposition and the chairpersons of civic sub-committees and ward office committees. The proposal is applicable to all other than the mayor.

Currently, Rs 37,501 is spent on the official car of the deputy mayor, 33,640 for the standing committee chairman, Rs 38,700 for leader of the house and Rs 36,940 for leader of the opposition.

It has been proposed to pay an allowance of Rs 30,000 to all other than leader of the house.

Chairpersons of civic sub-committees and ward office committees, will be paid an allowance of Rs 25,000.

Conditions like no additional payment for personal use of the cars, no responsibility of car insurance with the PMC and no provision for alternative cars in case of a breakdown have also been laid down.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Anil Shirole opposed the move stating that…More

TOI : PUNE: The Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) has suggested the linking of the Lohegaon airport and the proposed airports at Rajgurunagar near Chakan industrial belt and Navi Mumbai to Pune by rail.

The suggestion is included in MCCIA’s annual memorandum, sent to the Ministry of Railways in December 2007.

While considering the issue of land acquisition and expanding industry on the fringe areas of Pune, the Chamber has also said that “the two airports could be connected either by surface railway tracks or underground tracks or by any other suitable method”. It has asked to allocate some funds to conduct a pre-feasibility report on an urgent basis.

Today, Pune’s only airport, Lohegaon, is available for civilian flights only for eight hours a day. With increasing pressure from travellers, airline companies and cargo companies, the MCCIA has sought a comprehensive development, as the proposed airports are greenfield projects.

It is expected that the load on any airport in Pune will be eased once the Navi Mumbai airport becomes operational. This is because the Navi Mumbai airport will be more convenient for people in the Talegaon belt than the airports in Pune. While demanding the construction of a broad gauge double line between Pune and Nasik, the MCCIA has suggested that the line be routed through Chakan, Narayangaon and Sangamner. Electrification of the Pune-Daund track is also one of the prominent demands made by the MCCIA.
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