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TOI : PUNE: The Shaniwarwada Kala Mahotsav 2008, scheduled from December 25 to 28 at the historic Shaniwarwada promises a melange of events for culture and art lovers in the city.

The festival will be inaugurated on December 25 at 6 pm in the presence of legendary Marathi poet and lyricist Mangesh Padgaonkar. Eminent Marathi short story writer, D M Mirasdar, Bharatanatyam danseuse Sucheta Bhide-Chapekar, shehnai maestro Tukaram Daithankar and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champ Shamika Bhide will be felicitated during the function. This will be followed by a recital by classical vocalist Rahul Deshpande.

The next day will see the staging of Pitrudevobhava,’ a Marathi play by Vikram Gokhale. The same evening will also see a musical performance Majhe Jeevan Gaane,’ based on the poems of Mangesh Padgaonkar by Pramod Ranade, Anagha Pendse and Shamika Bhide.

Avgha Rang Ekchi Jhala,’ another Marathi theatrical offering will be presented by leading theatre production house Natya Sampada on December 27. The play deals with an old warkari and his young, modernistic grandson, who wants to move away from the rudiments of the musical tradition.

The festival will windup with a special feature on December 28. A musical programme dedicated to the youth, The Song of Life,’ will be presented by singers Hrishikesh Ranade, Ashutosh Joshi and Swapnaja Wangikar. Print Emai…More

TOI : The Hinjewadi police have arrested three suspects for allegedly robbing a truck driver near Wakad in the wee hours of Monday. The suspects are Manish Anumal Rajpal (25), Deepak Khupchand Khemra (25) and Vikas Balasaheb Mhaske (22) all from Pimpri. The complaint in this regard has been filed by Hanumant Lakshamanayya (32) of Karnataka. Sub-inspector R B Pawar of the Hinjewadi police station said the suspects had blocked the truck, which was heading towards Mumbai, near Wakad. They assaulted the complainant and snatched Rs 11,880, before fleeing. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: The Shaniwarwada Kala Mahotsav 2008, scheduled from December 25 to 28 at the historic Shaniwarwada promises a melange of events for culture and art lovers in the city.

The festival will be inaugurated on December 25 at 6 pm in the presence of legendary Marathi poet and lyricist Mangesh Padgaonkar. Eminent Marathi short story writer, D M Mirasdar, Bharatanatyam danseuse Sucheta Bhide-Chapekar, shehnai maestro Tukaram Daithankar and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champ Shamika Bhide will be felicitated during the function. This will be followed by a recital by classical vocalist Rahul Deshpande.

The next day will see the staging of Pitrudevobhava,’ a Marathi play by Vikram Gokhale. The same evening will also see a musical performance Majhe Jeevan Gaane,’ based on the poems of Mangesh Padgaonkar by Pramod Ranade, Anagha Pendse and Shamika Bhide.

Avgha Rang Ekchi Jhala,’ another Marathi theatrical offering will be presented by leading theatre production house Natya Sampada on December 27. The play deals with an old warkari and his young, modernistic grandson, who wants to move away from the rudiments of the musical tradition.

The festival will windup with a special feature on December 28. A musical programme dedicated to the youth, The Song of Life,’ will be presented by singers Hrishikesh Ranade, Ashutosh Joshi and Swapnaja Wangikar. Print Emai…More

TOI : The Hinjewadi police have arrested three suspects for allegedly robbing a truck driver near Wakad in the wee hours of Monday. The suspects are Manish Anumal Rajpal (25), Deepak Khupchand Khemra (25) and Vikas Balasaheb Mhaske (22) all from Pimpri. The complaint in this regard has been filed by Hanumant Lakshamanayya (32) of Karnataka. Sub-inspector R B Pawar of the Hinjewadi police station said the suspects had blocked the truck, which was heading towards Mumbai, near Wakad. They assaulted the complainant and snatched Rs 11,880, before fleeing. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: The Shaniwarwada Kala Mahotsav 2008, scheduled from December 25 to 28 at the historic Shaniwarwada promises a melange of events for culture and art lovers in the city.

The festival will be inaugurated on December 25 at 6 pm in the presence of legendary Marathi poet and lyricist Mangesh Padgaonkar. Eminent Marathi short story writer, D M Mirasdar, Bharatanatyam danseuse Sucheta Bhide-Chapekar, shehnai maestro Tukaram Daithankar and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Little Champ Shamika Bhide will be felicitated during the function. This will be followed by a recital by classical vocalist Rahul Deshpande.

The next day will see the staging of Pitrudevobhava,’ a Marathi play by Vikram Gokhale. The same evening will also see a musical performance Majhe Jeevan Gaane,’ based on the poems of Mangesh Padgaonkar by Pramod Ranade, Anagha Pendse and Shamika Bhide.

Avgha Rang Ekchi Jhala,’ another Marathi theatrical offering will be presented by leading theatre production house Natya Sampada on December 27. The play deals with an old warkari and his young, modernistic grandson, who wants to move away from the rudiments of the musical tradition.

The festival will windup with a special feature on December 28. A musical programme dedicated to the youth, The Song of Life,’ will be presented by singers Hrishikesh Ranade, Ashutosh Joshi and Swapnaja Wangikar. Print Emai…More

TOI : The Hinjewadi police have arrested three suspects for allegedly robbing a truck driver near Wakad in the wee hours of Monday. The suspects are Manish Anumal Rajpal (25), Deepak Khupchand Khemra (25) and Vikas Balasaheb Mhaske (22) all from Pimpri. The complaint in this regard has been filed by Hanumant Lakshamanayya (32) of Karnataka. Sub-inspector R B Pawar of the Hinjewadi police station said the suspects had blocked the truck, which was heading towards Mumbai, near Wakad. They assaulted the complainant and snatched Rs 11,880, before fleeing. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) slum committee members and corporators Shrirang Barne and Seema Savale have raised objections against the ongoing constructions under the slum rehabilitation project.

A team of slum rehabilitation committee members led by chairperson Chandrakanta Sonkamble had visited the construction sites on December 4 and alleged that sub-standard raw materials were being used for construction.

They gave samples of the sand, cement and other raw materials being used in the projects to Subhash Dumbre, additional commissioner, PCMC, for analysis. Dumbre has ordered an inquiry into the allegations.

Sonkamble expressed doubts about the maintain of the buildings after the slum dwellers get possession of the tenements. She also pointed out that the PCMC had rehabilitated Bhatnagar slum, but later the residents could not maintain the buildings properly hence the buildings are in bad condition.

She also expressed apprehension as to whether the beneficiaries will be able to bear the expenditure on power bills of the lifts in the buildings. She said that the beneficiaries and their family members, who live on the fourth to sixth floors, would have to face hardships if the lifts did not function due to loadshedding.

Replying to Sonkamble’s queries, slum department officials said that the PCMC would deposit a fixed amount in the bank for maintenance of the buildings. The interest from this deposit and the monthly maintenance charges collected from slum dwellers will be used to meet the maintenance expenditure.

During the general body (GB) meeting, Congress corporator Shrirang Barne alleged that the Milindnagar slum rehabilitation project site is in the floodline, the Sector 22 site is in the red zone and Vitthalnagar site is in Annasaheb Magar stadium land that falls under the green zone.

Subhash Dumbre, additional commissioner, PCMC, said, “The investigation report of the College of Engineering, Pune regarding the allegations of slum committee members is awaited. I do not want…More

TOI : PUNE: As many as nine cows were found dead under mysterious circumstances at the foodgrain and grocery section of the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Gultekdi Market Yard, early on Tuesday morning.

While the owners of the dead cows allege that the animals were poisoned by unidentified miscreants, B J Deshmukh, administrator, APMC, said, “The incident is a result of rivalry among cattle owners.”

Dnyaneshwar Dagade, cattle owner and a resident of Sandeshnagar near Market Yard, who has lost three cows, said, “On Tuesday morning, I had untied the nine cows I own, in order to let them graze. Within half-an-hour, I learnt about the incident and rushed to the foodgrain and grocery section of the APMC. I found that three of my cows were dead. Papad, potato chiwda and wheat was found near the dead cows.”

Dagade added that his neighbours, Shantabai Gaikwad, Chandrashekhar Yadav and Kaluram have also lost their livestock. “It’s a regular practice among traders at Market Yard to mix poison in foodgrain in order to get rid of rats. Perhaps the poison was somehow consumed by the cows,” Dagade said.

“I’ve lost the only cow I had. I’m going to file police complaint,” Shantabai Gaikwad told TOI.

Chandrashekhar Yadav, who lost two cows, has demanded that the APMC compensate the cattle owners with new livestock. “We don’t want money, we want cows for cows.”

Deshmukh, however, said, “Cattle grazing is not allowed on the APMC premises. So, there’s no scope for demanding compensation.”

Sub-inspector V E Shinde of the Swargate police said the police have collected the bodies of the nine cows from the Market Yard, which were later sent for a post-mortem examination. We will register a case after receiving the reports,” Shinde said. Print Emai…More

TOI : PUNE: It is time for undelivered promises of 2008 to materialise in 2009. The New Year holds much promise in this context for the city’s air travellers vis-a-vis the modernisation plan which is unfolding at the Lohegaon airport.

True, the plan key features include new international departures and arrivals terminal buildings started on a delayed note (in the first week of August 2008) and by far overshot its October deadline, set in view of the Commonwealth Youth Games (CYG) 2008. Yet, the pace of the ongoing construction works provide a reassuring picture about the airport becoming more swanky and spacious in the coming year.

The Lohegaon airport’s existing main terminal building is spread over a 6,500 sq mt area and is grossly insufficient to accommodate the daily load of air passengers, pegged at around 5,000. In the last three years, there has been a significant growth in the number of flights as well as the airline operators in Pune 34 flights involving eight airliners, as of now.

“We are adding more than double the existing space, which will ease much of the problems currently faced in the operational area at the airport,” says Pune airport director G Chandramouli.

The international departures terminal, located to the west of the main terminal building, covers a 6,000 sq mt area and will be operational by the end of January.

A partly constructed ground-floor of this new facility was commissioned on a temporary basis during the CYG, but the services were withdrawn latter to facilitate completion of construction and interior works. By end January though, the passenger load will be evenly distributed between the main and the new terminal facilities.

On the eastern side of the airport’s main building, the international arrivals terminal, covering 5,000 sq mt area, is expected to be completed by end of February.

The two new terminal buildings apart, a new parking…More

TOI : PUNE: Warkaris (pilgrims) of the temple towns of Dehu and Alandi are now focusing their attention on the pollution of river Indrayani.

They have threatened to launch an agitation against the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation if the civic body fails to take proper measures to curb pollution.

The warkaris as well as various office-bearers of the temple trusts, non governmental organisations (NGOs) and others have together formed the Indrayani Bachao Kruti Samiti (save Indrayani action committee). The committee headed by warkari leader Bapu More will discuss and plan counter measures to reduce river pollution.

More and members of the committee said that the municipal corporation was not taking adequate measures to reduce pollution. He said that the river was getting polluted due to discharge of industrial effluents from units which are mostly located in the Chikhli-Kudalwadi area. “Most of these industries are small scale enterprises which deal in scrap and tool-making and have no facilities to treat effluents,” he said.

More said that the committee will conduct another meeting on Thursday in Dehu to decide further course of action.

The committee is also planning to issue a deadline to the municipal corporation to curb pollution. If preventive steps are not taken, the warkaris will undertake a “bhajan” agitation at the municipal corporation, the committee members said.

However, the civic officials said that the temple towns, which incidentally are not in the municipal corporation limits, themselves need to take proper measures for reducing pollution. Bathing, washing of clothes and vehicles and direct release of sewage from these areas are major causes of river pollution, the officials said. Print Emai…More