News

TOI : PUNE: Three men who were trying to cheat a ration shop owner into buying fake gold ornaments were arrested, but an interior decorator got tricked the same day into buying fake gold chips worth Rs 10 lakh.

The interior decorator, Mohammad Mustakin Khan (32) from Pimple Saudagar, was cheated by three people into buying gold chips worth Rs 10 lakh.

According to a complaint, the conmen identified themselves as Raju alias Sharif (40), Munna alias Ravindra and Raju Mahela (40).

They approached him near Kasturi housing society in Pimple Saudagar and showed some gold chips. Khan bought about 8 kg of gold but later found out that they were fake, the police said.

Ration shop owner Kakasaheb Kamble (39), however, struck a different kind of deal with three cheats. “They showed him some gold coins and said they found one kilogram gold and pearl ornaments from their land,” the Hadapsar police said.

Kamble realised that the coins were fake and asked why they wanted to sell the valuables. “One of the suspects said the money was needed for his sister’s wedding. Kamble asked them to come the next day,” officials said.

Kamble informed the police, who arrested the suspects when they came to strike a deal next day. The suspects were identified as Kishor Hari Solakhi (21), Ravi Kanhaiyalal Solakhi (20) and Radha alias Laxmi Hari Solakhi (52) from Pathare Vasti of Haveli taluka. They have been remanded to police custody till February 25. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: Applications from companies seeking to set up units at the Rajiv Gandhi infotech park at Hinjewadi, have been lying with the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) for more than a year since there seems to be no land to be had.

Sources said that applications have been pending for 16-18 months, and there are apprehensions that these companies may decide to move to other cities.

Recognised as a special economic zone (SEZ), the Rajiv Gandhi infotech park is in the process of completing its third phase, but more than 25 applications from various companies, seeking around 50 acres of land, are still awaiting clearance.

“The MIDC has received many applications seeking land at Hinjewadi, Rajiv Jalota, chief executive officer, MIDC, told TOI.

“The major part of the pendency has been cleared, still we are facing a shortfall of nearly 40 acres. Considering the large number of applications received, it has become difficult to cater to all of them,” he added.
Though MIDC officials admit to the pending applications, they would not reveal exactly how many there were. According to sources, however, at least 25 applications, some of them from multinational companies with head offices outside India, were on hold.

An MIDC official said, “As applications are still pending, we have stopped the process for new ones. The process of receiving new applications will start after the announcement of a new phase.”

“Around 350 acres of land has been acquired for the third phase and it has an investment of Rs 400 crore. Multinational companies and IT companies are expected to open their shops in the third phase in the next six months,” he added. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: The Maharashtra state board for secondary and higher secondary education’s move to introduce Japanese language at the higher secondary certificate (HSC, Class XII) level, has met with a rather lukewarm response.

Barely 14 students from a solitary institution in Mumbai will appear for the first Japanese paper as part of the HSC exam which begins from February 28. The paper is scheduled for 11 am to 2 pm on March 14.

Board chairperson Vijaysheela Sardesai confirmed the figure while speaking to TOI on Friday evening.

“This is the first year when the test for Japanese will be part of the overall exam schedule. We hope more students will add to Japanese studies at the junior college level (Class XI and XII) in the years to follow,” she said.

What comes as a surprise is the fact that no academic institution in Pune — which accounts for India’s largest pool of Japanese learners at the higher education level — opted for the subject despite the immense career potential offered by Japanese language in the emerging global economy.

On an annual basis, 2,600 people from Pune take Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) for different levels of proficiency.

The city has 22 amateur as well as professional bodies and individual tutors for Japanese. The Japanese Students’ Services Organisation (Jasso), a body under Japan’s ministry of education, looks at Pune as a crucial base for promoting Japanese language.

All this, considering that the demand for Japanese language interpreters and teachers, especially at the Nikkyu level of conversation skill, is high in the infotech and management sectors. The response from junior colleges to the board’s initiative is surprising in this context.

The state education board introduced Japanese subject at the junior college level in 2006-07 with a specific objective of presenting the students…More

TOI : PUNE: With the state government approving the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) land lease policy, the PMC has become the first civic body in the state to have such a plan in place.

Suraj Mandhre deputy commissioner (land and estates) PMC told TOI that the state government had approved the land lease policy on Friday.

The state has made certain amendments in the plan that was submitted, and has asked the PMC not to sell its properties. Henceforth, the civic body will be able to lease out its property only for 30 years, as against the earlier procedure of 99 years.

Moreover, the PMC has to strictly follow the Bombay Provincial Municipal Corporation (BPMC) Act while letting out its properties and also go for a tendering system.

The civic body can, however, give land measuring less then 1,500 sq ft to non-governmental organisations and similar bodies without the tender system. The lease of all properties will be decided as per the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) norms.

The PMC had earlier leased out more than 1,100 properties, including open spaces.

Activists had then alleged that the majority of these properties were given out to organisations and people associated with corporators and politicians across parties.

When civic activist Vijay Kumbhar approached the high court regarding the issue on December 17, 2003, the HC had ordered that the municipal properties should be leased only through a tendering system.

The HC had also asked the municipal corporation to prepare a policy, and accordingly the PMC has become the first civic body in the state to have such a plan in place.

Meanwhile, the records of the leased out properties will be computerised by the PMC, and its land and estates department has launched a drive to hunt for properties…More

TOI : PUNE: Veteran leader Mohan Dharia on Saturday came down heavily on chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and the state government for mishandling the aftermath of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena’s (MNS) agitation against north Indians.

Dharia was speaking at a meeting organised by the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) to review the situation emerging after the MNS’s protest.

“I am concerned about the approach of the state government and the chief minister. Why immediate action was not taken against (MNS chief) Raj Thackeray and chargesheet not filed against him,” asked Dharia.

He said the attack on north Indians was an attack on the integrity of the nation. “The state government is responsible for the damage. The state government should have taken strong action against those who had created problems” he said.

Dharia also complained that the approach of the police was pathetic towards the problem. He, however, admitted that the strength of the police was limited to tackle the situation. “All sections of society should join hands to tackle the situation,” he added.

Police commissioner Jayant Umranikar, who was present at the meeting, declined to comment on Dharia’s statements, saying, “Political issues should be dealt politically”. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More