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TOI : PUNE: The Pune Tree Authority (PTA) has proposed a dedicated ‘tree line’ along all roads, particularly those being developed under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.

The idea is to have a dedicated space for trees with no concrete beneath, just as there is space earmarked for footpaths and cycle-tracks.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, BJP corporator and PTA member Medha Kulkarni said the move was to ensure plantation of trees as the city has been losing its greenery to large-scale development. “A two-ft tract at the very least should be kept on either side of the road,” Kulkarni said.

The PTA also plans to plant 15,000 trees during the monsoons, she added. “The Pune Municipal Corporation has acquired land in different areas from the forest department. Large-scale tree conservation should be taken up in these areas by PTA members.” Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: The Pune, Khadki and Dehu Road cantonment board elections slated for May 18 could be a tedious and time-consuming process. The state election commission has refused to provide electronic voting machines (EVMs), saying the machines were purchased for civic body elections, not for cantonment boards.

The three boards have been officially intimated about the decision. While the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) received the intimation earlier this week, the other two were informed over the last two days.

The cantonments are now making a fresh appeal, urging the election panel to provide EVMs so that the long-drawn process of printing ballot papers, and physically counting the votes can be avoided.

Cantonment boards argue that they are also local self-government bodies. The denial of EVMs is a major setback as they had made plans to declare the election results as early as possible. Incidentally, EVMs have never been used before for elections in the three boards.

“We have sent a letter to the election commission, requesting it to provide EVMs as the cantonment board is a local self government body,” chief executive officer of the Khadki Cantonment Board, G.S. Rajeshwaran told TOI. Dehu Road Cantonment Board CEO Rajendra Pawar said the DCB had asked for 40 EVMs to facilitate quick and accurate counting of votes.

According to Vinod Mathurawala, nominated member of the Pune Cantonment Board, the PCB is also making a case for use of EVMs. Print Save EMail Write to Editor Get personalised news s…More

TOI : PUNE: Students of the College of Agriculture, Pune, could soon be searching for agricultural details via internet from the field. The college has initiated a project to make its campus wi-fi-enabled. Authorities claim that with this facility, within the next two months, internet browsing will be possible from anywhere on its campus.

“We have been working on the project for the last month. All procedural technicalities have been completed. The groundwork for the installation of instruments will begin soon,” associate dean and principal of the college B.R. Ulmek told TOI.

He said laying optical fibre cables proved to be a tough task as a large part of the campus consists of fields. There are chances that cables might get cut frequently as students carry out their practicals.

However, on the plus side, with wi-fi, it will be possible to access the internet from anywhere on the 102-hectare campus. Ulmek said the facility was being provided to inspire students to get more involved in research. “Updates on the latest developments in agriculture at the international level will be easily available,” he said.

Introducing wi-fi on the campus will cost approximately Rs 2 lakh. According to R.D. Chowdhari, an official working on the project, the facility will be provided using six access points. These points will be fixed at different areas within the campus. “Erection of the nodes and other computer parts for the facility will begin at the end of this month. Completing the total set up takes around 15 days, after which testing will begin,” Chowdhari said.

Ulmek said plans to upgrade the computer lab is also on the cards in order to make wi-fi more beneficial. The lab’s strength will be increased to 50 computers. The college has also proposed the idea of computerisation of classrooms, which can be used by teachers as well….More

TOI : PUNE: It has been two months since the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena activists took up a campaign against the north Indians. This, however, has created a long-term problem for Pune’s development with city road contractors still reeling under 70 per cent labour shortage.

All the major road works in the city, ahead of the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG), have been badly hit with contractors unable to find skilled and unskilled workers to complete the projects.

The labour crunch has only added to the civic body’s woes as it struggles to complete the works before the CYG deadline. It is already behind schedule even as the monsoon approaches, said Municipal commissioner Pravinsinh Pardeshi.

Contractor M.B. Patil, who is working on the Balewadi underpass, Paud road, Bajirao road, F.C. road and roads near Yerawada, said it has become impossible to get more labourers.

“They have refused to return. I even tried sending my men to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to ask them return, but they flatly refused,” Patil said. He pointed out that 80 per cent of the labour workforce involved in road projects were north Indians, who were good at some skilled jobs like using heavy machinery.

“Only 20 per cent of the labour force was made up of locals. With the others fleeing, we tried to get in more locals but the figure has reached only 30 per cent. We are working with just that much labour force. Moreover, they are only capable of unskilled tasks, but we have to make do with them for skilled jobs as well,” Patil said.

Another contractor said that it is doubtful whether works will be completed on time. Earlier, contractors worked 24 hours a day, but now they are not doing so. “We had enough labour. So, work could be done in two shifts. Now, however, we…More

TOI : PUNE: The tri-party agreement signed by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), Tata Power Company and the Tata Power Trading Company Ltd on Friday to ensure that Pune remains free from load-shedding, is for a period of six months and not till April 14.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on Saturday cleared the confusion over the April 14 time-frame announced by the MSEDCL in its official statement which announced signing of the tri-party agreement. As per the agreement, Tata Power will act as a temporary franchisee and secure 100 MW power exclusively for Pune for 24 hours through Tata Power Trading Company to prevent load shedding.

Addressing a news conference here, Pradeep Bhargava, chairman, CII’s Maharashtra council, said that as per initial arrangements, the 100 MW power to be supplied by Tata Power Trading was contracted till April 14 hence the confusion. “However, Tata Power has no problem whatsoever in supplying the 100 MW power even after April 14 and the tri-party agreement is valid till September 2008,” he stated. The power was being sourced from Andhra Pradesh.

Bhargava stated that taking the zero load-shedding model a step ahead, the MSEDCL will submit a petition to the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (Merc) in a week’s time listing the demand, supply and power shortfall scenario for Pune till September. “This will help Merc to ascertain the reasonableness of the cost of additional power and fix the new reliability charge. As of now, the MSEDCL has said that 100 MW will be adequate to bridge the gap between demand and supply to prevent load shedding in Pune,” he said.

The Merc will then give three weeks’ time to Puneites to submit their objections and suggestions to the petition before conducting a public hearing possibly during the last week of April or early May. The regulatory body…More