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TOI : PUNE: In order to provide an opportunity for retired personnel of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to get new jobs in various fields, the IAF will hold a placement fair, the first of its kind in the city. To be held on November 8 and 9, the fair will provide a platform to bring together the corporate world and retired IAF personnel and officials who have retired at the relatively young age of 35 to 54 years.

Getting in touch with the right people in order to start a second career is often difficult for retired defence personnel, even though they may be highly skilled. According to the IAF authorities, every year, approximately 6,000 personnel retire from the Air Force. “In the past, we have had plenty of interaction with corporates and a large number of ex-Air Warriors have been placed with them,” said an IAF official, one of the organisers of the fair.

The ‘Placement Fair-2008’ will be held at 9 Base Repair Depot (BRD) Air Force, Pune. Officers of various branches and trades including aviators, engineers, logisticians, administrators and technicians, seeking a second career, will participate. Over 2,000 retired and retiring air warriors with 20 to 36 years of experience and distinguished service, within the ages of 36 to 58, are expected to apply for placement. Over 50 companies are expected to participate to grab the best talent at the fair, the organisers said.

“The Indian Air Force has served the nation for the past 75 years. We have safeguarded the Indian skies with glory and have set unachievable standards for the entire world. It’s now time to go ahead and impact the economy of the nation through the professional human resource we possess,” said V.K. Narang, Air Commodore Air Officer Commanding 9 BRD Air Force said. “A force of Air Warriors, who are not only experts in various air warfare…More

TOI : PUNE: Showing presence of mind, a Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) bus driver recently saved the life of a trio on a motorcycle who suddenly entered a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) lane on Satara road. The driver Subhash Tarade, who slammed the brakes barely a few feet from the motorcycle, will now be felicitated by the transport body.

The incident occurred at 9.45 pm on October 29 on the Katraj-Hadapsar BRTS route. Tarade, who was driving a Volvo bus, was caught unawares when a man on a motorcycle, with a woman and child riding pillion, suddenly turned and entered the BRTS lane. Since it was night time and there were very few vehicles on the roads owing to Laxmi Puja, Tarade was driving fairly fast at the time.

“The man broke a red signal and suddenly turned right to enter the BRTS lane. The two-wheeler was just about five feet away from the bus. There would surely have been a collision if I hadn’t pressed the brakes in time,” Tarade recalled.

Tarade said there were around 100 passengers in the bus at the time, who suffered a severe jolt when he braked sharply.

“The passengers were irked and wanted to catch hold of the man. But he sped away in a hurry. Luckily, I was driving a Volvo bus, which has powerful brakes. If it was a regular bus, I don’t what would have happened,” Tarade added.

Two-wheeler rider Rajaram Veer, a staff member of the Bharati Vidyapeeth school, was right behind the motorcycle on the night of the incident.

“I was shaken by what I saw. The three would have been killed if not for the driver, who managed to stop the bus barely a feet away from them,” Veer said.

He then followed the bus, stopped it and congratulated Tarade for…More

TOI : PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has sought permission from its standing committee to fine errant drivers and share the fine money with the Pune traffic police. This will enable the traffic department to purchase helmets and other equipment for the smooth management of traffic.

In a proposal before the standing committee, the municipal commissioner has suggest that a fine of Rs 100 be collected from two-wheeler drivers and Rs 500 from four-wheeler drivers who flout traffic rules. Fines should also be imposed on vehicles which enter the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) route and other vehicles that park in no parking zones.

The proposal states that 50 per cent of the total fine collected should be given to the Pune traffic police so they can utilise the money to purchase helmets, jackets, speed guns, breath analyser and batons.

The pilot BRTS route along Swargate-Katraj-Hadapsar is to be completed by the end of December and the civic body is getting ready to start BRTS on the Airport-Baner-Balewadi route. The PMC already faces a major hurdle by way of other vehicles entering into the Swargate-Katraj-Hadapsar BRTS lane. In order to prevent this, the civic body wants the introduction of a hefty fine.

The standing committee will meet on Tuesday to discuss the matter and if it agrees, the civic administration will get ready to implement it.
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TOI : PUNE: Studying in municipal schools noted scientist Raghunath Mashelkar has proved that it’s not necessary to attend high profile schools and pay massive fees to reach great heights — talent can spawn even in municipal schools. However, the Pune municipal school board is frequently in the news for all the wrong reasons — like controversies over purchase of school uniforms, corruption, lack of basic facilities and shortage of trained teachers.

But, there is a bright side to the story. “When 300 students studying in municipal schools shine in scholarship exams, that also without attending any private tuition, the credit must go to the teachers. We need to support teachers and students and encourage them,” says Jyotsna Sardeshpande, a BJP corporator and a teacher in a municipal school.

“If studying in municipal schools Mashelkar can reach such heights, why can’t I?” asks 13-year-old Pushkar Kakade, who studies in a municipal school. And to fulfil the dreams of hundreds like Pushkar, the Pune Municipal Corporation school board is initiating steps to train teachers and set up research units to develop an indigenous model to enhance the quality of education in municipal schools, thanks to two education experts who were elected to the school board.

“After being appointed on the school board we decided to enhance the quality of education. We plan to train teachers on a regular basis to keep them updated. Research units will be set up to develop an indigenous model for education instead of imitating methods used in foreign countries. Already we are studying the educational patterns in municipal schools,” says educationist P.G. Vaidya, member of the school board.

The model is based on the principle of mobilising parents and students from slum areas who usually attend municipal schools.

Inputs from municipal teachers and other educationists will also be utilised while working out the model, Vaidya says.
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TOI : PUNE: The one-man committee probing the bio-medical waste (BMW) plant blaze at Kailash crematorium, which claimed seven lives on September 11, has recommended action against Pune Municipal Corporation health chief and his deputy, ward officers and the zonal commissioner for their “laxity” in keeping a watch on the plant.

The report also recommends action against the company which was given the contract to run the plant and has also held the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board responsible as its officials had failed to conduct regular visits to the site as per requirement.

Following the blaze, municipal commissioner Pravinsinh Pardeshi appointed additional municipal commissioner M S Devnikar to probe the matter. Devnikar submitted his report on October 8, but it was not tabled before the standing committee or the general body. However, BJP corporator Vikas Mathkari managed to get a copy of the confidential report.

The report states that “clarification should be demanded and necessary action taken against the deputy health chief, Dhananjay Chandakkar, then zonal commissioner, ward officer and the divisional health inspector for showing laxity in visiting the plant regularly.

It was the duty of the health department chief to make his officers work. Since he has failed to act responsibly, clarification should be sought from him and necessary action taken”.

Speaking to TOI on Friday, Devnikar said, “The municipal commissioner issued notices to the officers concerned after the report was submitted to him.” The report was submitted after checking each and every detail, he added.

Chandakkar said, “I have replied to the show-cause notice issued in the matter”. He declined to comment further.

The report recommends that the firm Sun Enviro Pvt Ltd had breached the contract with the PMC and hence the contract be cancelled and the bank guarantee seized. It also says that legal action should be taken against the company for…More

TOI : PUNE: The city police have claimed that the number of house-breaking thefts (HBTs) has decreased this year. However, while the night-time incidents decreased, there was a rise in day-time burglaries.

The total number burglaries in the city showed a marginal decrease with 935 cases being reported in 2008 till September (till when data is available), while 991 cases were reported during the corresponding period previous year.

The night-time house-breaking thefts witnessed an eight per cent reduction — 715 incidents till September 2008 (776 cases in the corresponding period, previous year. However, the daylight burglaries have seen an increase of two per cent — from 215 incidents till September 2007 to 220 incidents till September 2008.

Attributing the fall in burglaries to better detection methods and neighbourhood watch activities, additional commissioner of police (crime) Rajender Singh said, “We have arrested two gangs from Mumbai and Solapur this year, leading to the solution of over 200 cases.” Recently, each police station has been given three four-wheelers for patrolling. The commandos attached to the crime branch would also add in patrolling as well as detection, he added.

Moreover, senior police officials, including assistant commissioners, have been holding meetings with residents of burglary-prone areas, Singh said. “Steps to stop burglary in the area were discussed and the citizens were advised about the precautions to be undertaken in their residences such as putting alarms and safety locks.”

Though the crime branch does not have the exact number of localities covered under the neighbourhood watch scheme, the meetings were held regularly. “ “Wanowrie, Chatushrungi, Sangvi, Pimpri, Kothrud and Hadapsar generally report burglaries. Earlier, Deccan was also a burglary-prone area. However, the instances have been reduced after a Mumbai gang was arrested. Areas under Pune Cantonment, Faraskhana and Samarth police stations report negligible number of burglaries,” Singh said.

Officials from the crime branch said,…More

TOI : PUNE: The Income-Tax department, Pune, has challenged the Pune Municipal Corporation’s move of levying service charges in lieu of property tax from the Union government’s offices in the city, stating that it was violation of Article 285 (1) of the Constitution.

According to a press release issued by the chief commissioner of income-tax, Pune, the properties owned by the Union government are not subject to tax as per Article 285 of the Constitution of India.

“The service charges demanded in lieu of property taxes by the PMC are not in accordance with the privileges granted by the Constitution,” the statement reads. It further states that, in another case, the Supreme Court has held that the interplay of the constitutional and legal provisions being well defined, it is clearly not within the competence of the corporation to impose tax on the Union of India, the same being violative of the Constitution.

When contacted, Vilas Kanade, head of tax assessment and collection department, PMC, said that the charges were being collected as per a government regulation (GR) of the Government of India.

“Since this issue was brought before us, we held meetings and have written to officials of the department who have issued the GR and of the income-tax department, Pune. Currently, we collect fire cess, sanitation charges and general taxes. However, since the constitutional provision was brought to our notice, we issued letters seeking explanation,” Kanade said. Although the letters were sent three months ago, the PMC has received no reply so far, they added.
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TOI : PUNE: A sense of unease was palpable among the residents of Runal Nets, the ground-plus-three structured apartment building at Bijlinagar in Chinchwad where Sameer Kulkarni, one of the suspects in the Malegaon bomb blast case owns a flat.

Kulkarni was formally arrested on Tuesday by the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Mumbai, for his alleged complicity in the Malegaon blast. He was detained though by the ATS a few days prior to his formal arrest.

Kulkarni is suspected of having links with key suspect Sadhavi Pragya, claims the ATS.

Visitors seeking details of Kulkarni at the Runal Nets are greeted with curious looks and hesitant replies by the residents. A team of TOI correspondents, who visited the apartment building on Thursday, had a first-hand experience of their unease.

Some residents claimed, they were unaware about the developments involving Kulkarni while others provided incoherent details about Kulkarni frequenting the flat once in a while at regular intervals.

A couple of steel locks greet the people visiting Kulkarni’s second-floor flat in the building. “Three days back, I saw Kulkarni’s mother in our building, but no one visited their flat, thereafter,” said Prakash Bagle, one of the residents of the building.

The 35-year-old Kulkarni’s mother was occupying the flat, bought nearly a decade ago, while he and his brother would frequent the flat at intervals, said the residents. Kulkarni had also bought a shop on the ground floor of the building and was running a commercial establishment for assembled computers by name ‘Om Sanganak’.

“They (Kulkarnis) were basically loners by nature and would seldom mix with members of our society,” said a resident, who did not wish to be identified. Runal Nets forms part of the bigger housing project, raised in the form of a row of apartment buildings and is occupied by middle- and upper-middle class families. Each building…More

TOI : PUNE: Diwali celebrations, especially the Laxmi pooja day kept the civic fire brigade on its toes with 35 incidents of fires reported in the city, thanks to irresponsible cracker bursting.

“Thirty-five fire breaks were recorded on Tuesday and majority of the incidents were because of irresponsible bursting of crackers. However, there were no causalities or injuries. Fire brigade staff of 450 people were on duty and all leaves and weekly-off’s were cancelled,” PMC’s chief fire officer Devendra Potphode told TOI on Thursday.

He added that all 35 vehicles with the fire force were ready to deal with the situation and also help was provided in PCMC area where PMC vehicles rushed to quell fire.

Majority of the fire incidents were registered in Bhavani Peth area while other congested Peth areas in the city witnessed fire due to crackers. A mandap near the Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati temple caught fire after a cracker landed on the mandap. Fire brigade vehicles reached the spot within few minutes and controlled the fire. A godown near Kohinoor hotel caught fire at 10 pm, traffic was blocked on MG road due to fire.

Potphode added that the fire brigade had launched the campaign 15 days ago to enlighten citizens about safe bursting of crackers. “Some old wadas like one in Mujumdar lane, slums, old houses, trees and dry grass also caught fire in various parts of the city,” he said.
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TOI : PUNE: The Regional Transport Office (RTO) will start issuing driving licences at its Alandi road office from November 10.

Talking to reporters on Tuesday Congress MLC Mohan Joshi said, “To get driving licence one has to appear for test at Alandi road RTO and then go to the RTO near Maldhakka to get the license. From November 10, after appearing for test, license will be issued on the spot at the Alandi road office”.

Joshi said that citizens were facing inconvenience as they had to travel from Alandi road to Maldhakka. “The demand to issue licenses at Alandi road office was pending for a long time. About 700 licences are issued daily and there was a growing demand that the licenses should be issued at the same spot,” said Joshi.

He added that rounds of discussions were held with divisional commissioner Nitin Kareer and RTO officer Chandrakant Kharatmal for the actual implementing of the decision.

“Finally, from November 10, the RTO will start issuing licenses from the Alandi road office,” said Joshi. He pointed out the lack of basic facilities at the RTO and said that immediate attention should be paid to provide facilities like toilets for the convenience of citizens.

Earlier, considering the lack of enough land for the RTO, a delegation of members and corporators led by MLC Mohan Joshi had met municipal commissioner Pravinsinh Pardeshi requesting him to lease out some additional land for the RTO in the city. B…More