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TOI : PUNE: Two policemen have been deployed at the PCMC-run Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital (YCMH) to prevent fights between the staff and relatives of patients.

Nagkumar Kunchagi, medical officer of health (MOH), PCMC, expressed concern about frequent occurrence of such incidents. “A letter was written to the state government demanding security at the hospital, for which we are ready to pay,” said Kunchagi.

Speaking to TOI, Anand Jagdale, medical superintendent of the YCM hospital said, “The policemen will patrol the campus. Their presence will be a deterrent to people who create trouble.”

Jagdale said, “One armed policeman and his associate have been deployed at the hospital. We already have two policemen at the hospital to handle medico-legal cases. They are deployed at the police chowkey attached to the hospital.”

Meanwhile, YCMH staff belonging to Pimpri-Chinchwad Mahanagarpalika Karmachari Mahasangh (PCMPM) conducted a stop work’ agitation on Friday in protest against the incident in which nurses and wardboys were manhandled by relatives of a patient the previous day. Ashish Patil, a patient from Kasarwadi and his relatives, beat up the nurses and wardboys on Thursday night alleging that the hospital staff was neglecting them. They also damaged furniture and equipment. The hospital staff said that they do not feel safe in the hospitals.

Kunchagi assured them of appropriate action, after which the agitation was withdrawn. More Stories from this section Swine flu toll rises to 96 in Pune City gets preview’ of winter Zagade, Singh pay non-surprise visit to Tulshibaug UoP to lodge cheating plaint against PIMR Tingya’…More

TOI : PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is expecting a Rs 227 crore funding from the World Bank for transportation projects. The civic body has been asked to submit a preliminary report as to how it plans to utilise the funds.

Besides the central government’s JNNURM schemes, sustainable urban transport projects aided by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the World Bank are to be implemented in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.

A meeting in the regard was recently held in New Delhi where Pune was asked to submit a report for projects which will be funded to the extent of Rs 227 crore.

Initially in Pune, the proposed works included development of cycle tracks at city level, which will also act as feeder network within a 2-km distance of the pilot BRTS (Katraj-Swargage-Hadapsar route), and improvement of pedestrian infrastructure which would cost about Rs 100 crore.

However, the Pune municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade has in mind to utilise the funds for mass transport projects.

Speaking to TOI, Zagade said that he intends to plan for mass transport system. “The scope of the project has been expanded and we have been asked to prepare a report for funds of Rs 227 crore. In Pune, only 18 to 20 per cent of population use public transport whereas in the cities like Mumbai the proportion is 80 per cent. Maybe not 80, but we can at least take our figure upto 50 per cent. Mass transport system needs to be pushed,” Zagade said.

He, however, added that as of now, the PMC is at a very preliminary stage of planning and will soon finalise how the WB funds will be spent and a report will then be sent.

Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad are among the ten cities in the country that have been selected by the Union government where the projects will be implemented over a period of…More

TOI : PUNE: The timings of some local and express trains have been changed for four days due to the ongoing construction of a road overbridge (ROB) at Dehu Road, from today till November 4.

The 1026 Up Pune-Manmad Express will leave Pune station two hours behind schedule on Sunday, November 1. It will depart from Pune Station at 2.50 p.m. instead of the scheduled 12.50 p.m.

The Pune-Lonavla local, departing from Pune Station at 1 p.m. will only run between the Pune and Chinchwad section and will not ply between the Chinchwad and Lonavla section.

The Lonavla-Pune local departing from Lonavla at 2 p.m. will not ply between Lonavla and Chinchwad either. It will run from Chinchwad to Pune only.

One special local train will leave Lonavla station at 1.10 p.m. and will reach Begdewadi at 1.40 p.m. Another special local train will leave Begdewadi at 1.50 p.m. and will reach Lonavla at 2.30 p.m.

The Pune-Talegaon local train, departing from Pune Station at 1 p.m. will not run between Chinchwad and Talegaon section from Monday, November 2 to Wednesday, November 4 and will run up to Chinchwad only.

The Talegaon-Pune local train departing from Talegaon at 2 p.m. will not run between Chinchwad and Pune section from Monday, November 2 to Wednesday, November 4. More Stories from this section Swine flu toll rises to 96 in Pune City gets preview’ of winter Zagade, Singh pay non-surprise visit to Tulshibaug UoP to lodge cheating plaint against PIMR Tingya’…More

TOI : PUNE: In a candid admission, NCP spokesman and senior leader Govindrao Adik on Saturday said that barring the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), all major political parties in the state have failed to win the confidence of “young voters”.

“The challenge posed by the MNS to all political parties in the state should be considered as a challenge posed by the youths. This has happened because NCP, Congress, BJP and Shiv Sena had no specific agenda for young voters,” Adik said.

Adik along with BJP state general secretary Vinod Tawade, Shiv Sena state spokesperson Neelam Gorhe and senior Congress leader Ulhas Pawar on Saturday participated in a seminar on the topic: 2009 assembly poll results and the emerging trends’. The seminar was organised by the Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ).

“Though the NCP and all other major political parties have youth wings and student organisations, they failed to set an agenda for the young voters. We need to introspect and analyse why and how MNS was able to influence the young voters and why we could not,” Adik said.

Tawade too admitted that the MNS impacted the results. “The BJP-Sena’s tally would have easily gone up to 138 if the MNS was not in the fray. We lost 48 seats owing to MNS. However, it would be wrong to say that all the votes polled by the MNS were that of BJP and Sena. The MNS also made a dent in the Congress-NCP vote bank,” he said.

While admitting that the Congress may have gained owing to MNS factor, Congress leader Ulhas Pawar, however, said, “We were certain to win this elections as the Lok Sabha results had clearly indicated that the people in the country and in Maharashtra wanted a stable government and in the current scenario the UPA is the best option.”

Asked what were the other reasons that led to…More

TOI : PUNE: The Khadki Cantonment court on Saturday sent two suspects in the gang rape and murder of software engineer Nayana Phatak-Pujari to police custody till November 2 in another case of molestation and attempt to kidnap.

Sub-inspector Varsha Deshmukh of Vishrantwadi police station obtained the custody of the suspects, Yogesh Raut and Mahesh Thakur, from the Yerawada central jail and produced them before judicial magistrate court first class Siddharth Salvi for seeking police custody remand.

The police submitted that the custodial interrogation of the suspects was required as they were involved in a serious crime and sought time to trace absconding suspect Vishwas Kadam. However, defence lawyer Biju Aloor relied on the victim’s complaint by saying that she only said that the suspects had caught her hand, which does not amount to outraging her modesty.

According to Aloor, section 366 (kidnapping) of the Indian Penal Code was not applicable in the case as the complaint does not make any reference that his clients had attempted to kidnap her from her residence on October 7.

The lawyer also raised the issue of delay in registering a complaint against the suspects and pleaded to send his clients to magisterial custody as their custody was not required by the police. The court, however, sent the suspects to police custody till Monday. More Stories from this section Swine flu toll rises to 96 in Pune City gets preview’ of winter Zagade, Singh pay non-surprise visit to Tulshibaug UoP to lodge cheating plaint against PIMR Tingya’…More

TOI : PUNE: Chambli in Purandar taluka, a discreet village in Pune district which earned kudos in 2003 for adopting the best rain water harvesting system, was on Saturday visited by 29-year-old Agatha Sangma, Union minister of state for rural development.

“The bunds that have been built are extremely cost-effective and a very smart way of villages making themselves self-sufficient and self-reliant. I will go back to Delhi and think more on the demands submitted to me by the village,” said Sangma, who also inaugurated a drinking water tanker during the function.

Being in-charge of issues like clean drinking water and total sanitation in the rural areas, Agatha urged the villagers to ask the government to build toilets for total sanitation.

“Your village has succeeded in preserving water and now, you must go one step further to build toilets for total sanitation,” said Sangma.

About an hour-and-a-half drive from Pune, the village sports well-constructed bunds that have led to effective rain water management and storage of sufficient water throughout the year for both drinking and irrigation purposes. Together they constitute the Shashwat Swajal Sankalp Prakalp.

Sangma, who was given a colourful welcome by the villagers, paid a visit to one of the bunds and later met village sarpanch Mandatai Kadam, who handed over a list of demands to the minister for further development of the village which included repairing of old pipelines and construction of a hospital for women.

Having experienced frequent shortage of water during summer, in 2002, all villagers, including women, got together to build bunds on Chandravati river that runs through Chambli. “We all pitched in voluntarily to build the bunds at different locations across the river. It took us almost a month-and-a-half. We also built a big well on the other side of Chambli in a matter of 18 days. Now, we get enough water, especially during the dry season,” says…More

TOI : PUNE: Emphasising that in the society each individual’s role is different and yet equally important, Member of Parliament (MP) Agatha Sangma, Union Minister of State for Rural Development, shared her vision for a new generation of empowered citizens with students in the city on Friday.

Sangama visited the Foundation for Liberal And Management Education (FLAME) and discussed varied topics with the city’s youth in an hour-long session. From reservation for women in politics to controlling carbon emissions to her political experience, Sangama enthusiastically responded to students’ queries and spoke about the role that youth need to play in the society today.

When a first year MBA student asked for her message to the youth, Sangma said, “In society, everyone has a different role to play and each role is important. So be sincere in whatever you do. You don’t only have to be a politician to make a difference. Whether you are an engineer or a manager or a bureaucrat, each individual has an ability to transform the world around him by setting an example with his thoughts and actions. Become a moral driver for society.”

Explaining the importance of having a holistic education, Sangma said, “You need to discover your potential as an individual and develop a mindset which encourages you to think.”

Sangma also spoke at length on the state of India’s rural development, education system and the plight of the less fortunate in the society.

FLAME founder chairman Parag Shah and head of student activities Pooja Shah were also present for the programme. More Stories from this section Swine flu toll rises to 96 in Pune City gets preview’ of winter Zagade, Singh pay non-surprise visit to Tulshibaug UoP to lodge cheating plaint against PIMR Tingya’…More

TOI : PUNE: Deputy regional transport officer, Pimpri-Chinchwad, has lodged a police complaint against private contractor Deepak Transport for forging vehicle fitness certificates for his buses.

Deepak Transports had prepared fake vehicle fitness certificates of 42 buses and submitted them at PMPML’s Swargate depot.

Speaking to TOI on Friday, Sarjerao Shelke, deputy regional transport officer, Pimpri-Chinchwad, said, “In April, the private contractor had applied to the RTO for getting vehicle fitness certificates for his buses. But an RTO official, who had earlier conducted the fitness test for his buses, reported that the vehicles were in a bad condition and that the contractor did not co-operate with the officials.”

“The contractor had told us that he would bring the buses to Nigdi depot for inspection, but we asked him to get the vehicles to our RTO office instead. I told my officials that I would be present when the tests are conducted. When the contractor came to know of this arrangement, he did not get his vehicles for testing,” Shelke added.

Once dodged, Shelke directed his officials to check if the contractor’s buses were running on the roads. “We checked PMPML’s fleet and caught one of his buses. We came to know that the vehicle papers are with the depot manager Chabukswar and promptly asked him to fax the vehicle fitness documents. On checking it was found that the papers were fake as there were no such records with us,” Shelke said, adding that the RTO then lodged a complaint with the Dehu Road police.

Shirish Karale, Managing Director, PMPML, said, “RTO officials have informed us that the vehicle contractor has used fake vehicle fitness documents. We have seized all the 38 documents submitted by him and have submitted them with the joint managing director of PMPML. We will send these documents to RTO to check their authenticity.”

“We will take action against the contractor in…More

TOI : PUNE: During the first six months of the current financial year (from April to September), the Regional Transport Office witnessed a 9-per cent dip in the registration of vehicles, as compared to the same period last year. This decline has been seen in almost all vehicle segments including two-wheelers, four-wheelers, tourist taxis and trucks. Only the registration of buses has gone up in the last six months.

This means that revenue generated from the registration of vehicles has gone down by Rs 6.53 crore. Last year, during the April to September period, the Pune RTO had earned a revenue of Rs 82.64 crore, which has came down to Rs 76.10 crore during the same period this year.

The registration of two- and four-wheelers has declined by 8 per cent. Two-wheelers contribute to approximately 75 per cent of the total number of vehicles in the city and the number of vehicles in the city is above 18 lakh.

Chandrakant Kharatmal, regional transport officer, Pune, said this fall in the number of registrations is an interesting trend particularly since the city usually sees an upward swing in numbers. More than 1.3 lakh vehicles have been added to the city traffic every year for the last four years.

Kharatmal said there could be several reasons for this decline. The economic slowdown as well as the availability of money could be the primary reasons for the recent decline in new vehicle registration in the city.

Around 44,802 two-wheelers were registered during the April to September period against 48,377 vehicles last year. Four-wheeler registration also has gone down to 13,600 against 14,800 of last year.

Kharatmal said though overall registration of vehicles has gone down, the numbers of high-priced and luxury cars have gone up in the city. As many as 33 new vehicles with a price upwards of Rs 50 lakh were registered in the last six…More

TOI : PUNE: Three youths were arrested by the Kondhwa police on Saturday on the charges of gang raping a 17-year-old girl between July and September this year and threatening her at gunpoint if she revealed the matter to anyone.

The police have identified the suspects as Ashraf Mohammed Khan (21) of Wanowrie, a real estate agent; collegian Avinash Lalwani (18) of Dhole-Patil road and BPO employee Rupesh Tarachand Chavan (22) of Kondhwa.

“The girl was in love with Khan, the main suspect in the case. She did not initially register a case as Khan had promised to marry her. Besides he used to issue her threats for not disclosing the matter to anyone. After Khan refused to tie the knot with her, she approached the police,” said senior police inspector Rangnath Gaikar, in-charge of the Kondhwa police station.

The girl had discontinued her studies after seventh standard due to poor economic condition. Her mother had divorced her father and had got married to another man. The girl was staying with her father who is an artist and undertakes small-time jobs for earning a living. She moved to her friend’s place at Wanowrie last year after her relations with her father soured over some family dispute.

After staying with a friend for few days she shifted to her aunt’s place at NDA road where she stayed for a few months. She again got in touch with her father on her birthday on July 23 this year. The father-daughter duo started staying together, but she left him again after differences surfaced and shifted to a friend’s place at Undri.

According to the police, the girl had got friendly with Khan at a birthday party at Salunkhe Vihar. Since then they met frequently as her Khan promised to marry her.

The girl who was unable to make the two ends meet, meanwhile took up a part-time job…More