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TOI : PUNE: The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) on Saturday pressed into service its own employees for collecting vehicle entry tax (VET) from commercial vehicles passing through the Pune Cantonment.

The PCB took this decision as the private contractor had stopped collecting VET from vehicles after crime branch arrested 18 of his employees recently on the charge of over charging vehicles and issuing fake receipts.

PCB chief revenue superintendent Chitra Gokhale said the employees will work in two shifts and have been issued receipt books with instructions to maintain proper record and collect VET as per rules.

PCB chief executive officer D K Malik was not available for comments. Meanwhile, the PCB in its general body meeting held on Saturday decided to collect VET for two months on its own and has further decided to conduct a survey of vehicles passing through the Pune Cantonment before inviting bids for collecting VET from private parties.

On the action to be taken against the contractor, the Board president has decided to wait till the outcome of police investigations, said elected member Shailendra Bidkar. He has demanded that the contractor be blacklisted and his deposit be forfeited to avert incidents of over-charging.

In another development, the 18 employees of a private contractor, who were send to magisterial custody, have moved the district and sessions court for obtaining bail, said lawyer Pandit Dhumal. Topics: Pune PCB More Stories from this section Finally, Urali to get vermicomposting unit Property show draws house buyers in good numbers The phantom of the blogosphere Two more die of swine flu in Pune, toll …More

TOI : PUNE: Desperately trying to meet the deadline set by Urali Devachi villagers to stop dumping of waste at the landfill site, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has recently issued orders to start a 200 metric tonne vermicomposting facility at Urali to organically treat wet waste.

The contract for setting up the vermicomposting unit has been given to two private agencies who will also maintain the unit after it is set up on a land near Urali.

Speaking to TOI, deputy commissioner (solid waste management) Suresh Jagtap said the units will be set up within three months. He explained that the wet waste generated in hotels across the city and in the vegetable markets will be processed at the unit.

“A network of 1,300 hotels in the city has been created and wet waste is collected from all of them. A few hundred more need to be added to the system. Majority of wet waste generated in the city is that from hotels and the vegetable markets. A significant amount of waste will be converted into organic waste once the unit starts functioning,” Jagtap said.

He added that it will take another three months for the unit to be set up.

When asked why the waste was not going to be processed at the decentralised level as was earlier being announced by PMC, Jagtap said that space was severe constraint in the city. “We have got about 2,100 sq.m land at the site, which is very difficult to get in the city. However, the plans are in the pipeline to set up smaller decentralised units of biogas plants.

About 1,350 tonnes of solid waste is generated in Pune city everyday and the PMC has been struggling to process the waste in a scientific manner as has been ordered to them by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB).

The villagers of Urali Devachi in…More

TOI : PUNE: Prospective home buyers responded enthusiastically to the two-day Times Property exhibition that began on Saturday at the Pride Hotel in Shivajinagar.

The mood among the visitors was buoyant against the backdrop of reports of early signs of an economic recovery leading to expectations of a steadier business scene.

Also significant is the fact that the developer community has modified its approach to various projects and altered the designs and sizes of residential units to suit the changed thinking on the buyers’ side.

“From a scenario where everybody was aspiring to buy a 1,600 sq.ft house, the market has changed to people looking out for a 800-950 sq.ft house, which is a more practical idea given the present economic situation,” said a senior manager of a developer firm.

Close to 40 leading developer firms have set up stalls in the exhibition to display a variety of projects located in and around the city. Larger and high-end homes and row-houses are also available in select projects. Interestingly, the show has on offer properties with price tags ranging from Rs 12 lakh to well over Rs 50 lakh.

Amit Bhavsar, who was at the exhibition to check out a decent two-bedroom house for his family, including his parents, was happy to find the availability of a number of projects in the show. “I think the time is right to make the buying decision as economic indicators are positive and interest rates on housing loans have also stabilised,” Bhavsar said. Most nationalised banks and some private sector banks have recently announced reduction in the rates of interest which now range between 8.5 per cent p.a. and 13.5 per cent p.a.

The exhibition is open today (Sunday) between 10.30 am and 7.30 pm. Topics: Pune house More Stories from this section Finally, Urali to get vermicomposting unit The phantom of the blogosphere Two more die of swine…More

TOI : PUNE: In a significant development, the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) has filed a petition before the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (Merc) seeking permission to additionally recover Rs 821 crore from consumers to meet the additional recovery demand made by the Ratnagiri Gas and Power Pvt Ltd (RGPPL, Dabhol, erstwhile Enron).

If sanctioned, it would result in further hike in electricity tariff. The Merc has fixed a hearing in the matter on October 8 at 4 pm at Merc office on 13th floor, Centre No 1, World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade, Mumbai.

The move has evoked sharp criticism from consumer representative Prayas Energy Group that has questioned the rational behind the petition and demanded that the MSEDCL petition should not be processed at all.

The petition filed on September 30, said that the RGPPL has been allowed to recover capacity charge of Rs 2.24 per unit (charge for repayment of capital cost of the project, excluding fuel cost) in the interim order given by appellate tribunal for electricity. The Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Cerc) had allowed capacity charge of Rs 1.01 per unit which was challenged by the RGPPL.

The MSEDCL in its petition said that when the Merc passed the tariff order on August 17, it had considered the capacity charge at Rs 1.01 for the RGPPL. But since the charge has been hiked by the tribunal, the RGPPL has demanded that the MSEDCL immediately pay additional Rs 341.29 crore for the period April 1, 2009 to August 2009 and later Rs 80 crore per month.

“If the money was not paid to the RGPPL, it would be forced to shut down running units, the demand and supply gap in the state would increase further and MSEDCL would be left with no other alternative than to resort to increased load-shedding,” the MSEDCL petition said. The power utility has sought to recover…More

TOI : PUNE: The Khadak police on Saturday recovered 18 stolen two-wheelers following the arrest of two suspected vehicle thieves. The two-wheelers have together been valued at Rs 9 lakh.

The suspects, who were apprehended on September 25, were identified as Abid Bagwan (19) of Talegaon Dhamdhere and Bhanudas alias Lakhan Shinde (20) of Vithhalwadi in Shirur taluka. Acting on a tip-off, a team led by senior police inspector G V Nikam laid a trap and nabbed the duo.

“The suspects would steal the two-wheelers from parking lots of housing societies and from roadsides by breaking handle locks,” Nikam said.

The duo purportedly sold the two-wheelers in rural parts of Pune district. They would approach potential customers posing as bank recovery agents and sold the vehicles at very low prices, he added. “We have recovered 18 two-wheelers, most of them from Talegaon Dhamdhere.”

The investigation team comprises inspector Rajendra Kadam, assistant inspector Sambhaji Shirke, and constables Rahul Nigade, Ramesh Bhosale, Raju Wambure and Satish Bhalekar. Topics: Pune police More Stories from this section Finally, Urali to get vermicomposting unit Property show draws house buyers in good numbers The phantom of the blogosphere Two more die of swine flu in Pune, toll …More

TOI : PUNE: Three more deaths of H1N1 influenza, two 46-year-old women and a 28-year-old man, were reported in the city, taking the death toll to 69 on Saturday.

According to Ashok Mehta, joint director, state health services, “All three have tested positive for H1N1 flu. Ramesh Malwe from Nasrapur village in Bhor taluka succumbed to the influenza at 7 am at Sahyadri-Munot hospital. He was admitted to the hospital on September 25 in a critical condition and was put on ventilator immediately after the admission.”

He added, “The second victim was Sheikh Naseem Rafeek Ahmed from Kashidnagar in Pimple-Gurav died at the Ruby Hall Clinic at 8 am. She was admitted to the hospital on September 29 in critical condition and was put on ventilator.”

Mehta said, “Jijabai Koli, a resident of Dhanore village, Alnadi, district was the third victim on Saturday. Koli, who was admitted to the Yashwantrao Chavan memorial hospital (YCMH) on September 28 in critical condition, died on Saturday at 3 pm. Earlier, she visited a private hospital on September 28 and on the same day, was referred to YCMH.”

Meanwhile, two more schools in the district reported positive cases for H1N1 flu on Saturday. Mehta said, “A student each from Navmaharashtra Vidyalaya in Pimpri-Chinchwad and from a ahsram-shala in Junnar taluka tested positive. The health officials have visited both the schools while screening has been undertaken of the suspected cases.”

Mehta said as many as 21 people tested positive for H1N1 flu on Saturday, taking the total number of positive cases to 1,322. There are 28 critical patients currently being treated for H1N1 at various designated government and private hospitals in the PMC and PCMC limits. Of these, 12 patients are put on ventilators.

Mehta said, “Around 3,009 people were screened at the centres across the district. Around 415 persons were found suspected and are put on Tamiflu.”

On…More

TOI : PUNE: Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) has embarked on an effort to push insurance plans for individuals below the poverty line to make the benefits of social security allocation by the Central government to the needy.

LIC Pune’s senior divisional manager Partha Samal told mediapersons on Thursday that the organisation has been working closely with non-government organisations (NGOs) to channelise the insurance cover to the intended beneficiaries.

Announcing the benefits under two plans Janashree Bima Yojana and Aam Aadmi Bima Yojana Samal said insurance cover of Rs 30,000 is being extended to all individuals below the poverty line for a nominal yearly premium of Rs 200, half of which will be paid by the beneficiary and the rest will come from the Centre’s social security fund.

The insurance cover will be raised to Rs 75,000 if the insured person dies in an accident, Samal added. “In case of a permanent total disablement resulting from an accident, the compensation is Rs 75,000 and Rs 37,500 in case of permanent partial disablement,” he added.

In addition to these benefits, children of the insured, who are studying in 9-12 grades, will be extended assistance of Rs 100 per month each, subject to certain conditions, he said.

Samal said these schemes will be administered through NGOs who will create groups of 25 or more people who are in need of such social security assistance. “We have selected 157 NGOs as nodal agencies for this purpose and have, so far, covered over 2.5 lakh underprivileged persons for these schemes,” Samal informed.

The city’s municipal corporation has also devised similar insurance schemes like Jeevan Madhur and Jeevan Mangal, for unprotected sections of the society, including maid servants or drivers, he said.

Samal said LIC officials have been making efforts to spread awareness about the schemes among the intended beneficiaries by addressing groups of farm labourers, landless labourers by holding…More

TOI : PUNE: Three persons travelling in a tractor trolley sustained severe burn injuries on the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass, near Ambegaon, on Saturday afternoon, when the trolley they were travelling in came into contact with the overhead high-tension electricity line.

The Haveli police have identified the victims as Devram Kasabe (19), Ganesh Pardeshi (19) and Mahesh Avale (20), all from Taljai slums. They were admitted to the Sassoon general hospital for treatment.

According to the Haveli police, the victims are the members of the Shiv Mitra Madnal of Taljai. They were travelling on the trolley with the decoration set for the Navratri Utsav and were heading towards Taljai from Wadgaon, the police said.

According to the police, one of the victims was holding a flag in his hand. While passing under the Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited’s (MSETCL) Parvati-Chinchwad extra high voltage (EHV) electricity line at Ambegaon, the entire trolley came in contact with the live current and the all the three victims, who were on the trolley, sustained severe burn injuries.

The police said Avale sustained 40 per cent burn, Pardeshi 20 and Kasabe sustained 12 per cent burn injuries.

MSETCL executive engineer A V Maslekar (EHV, Pune zone) said, “The incident took place when the three youths were carrying hoardings in a tractor and were waving a flag fixed on an iron rod. The rod came into contact with the conductor of the EHV line resulting in the youths getting burn injuries. There is sufficient clearance under the EHV line that crosses the highway and the youths sustained injuries only because the rod that they were carrying came in contact with the EHV line.” Topics: Pune Three More Stories from this section Finally, Urali to get vermicomposting unit Property show draws house buyers in good numbers The phantom of the blogosphere Two more die of swine flu in Pune, toll …More

TOI : PUNE: Pointing finger at the recent verbal duels between Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and MNS supremo Raj Thackeray, Congress leader Narayan Rane said on Friday that if there is a dispute between two brothers, how will they rule the state.

Rane was in the city to campaign for Congress candidate and his staunch supporter Vinayak Nimhan, who is contesting from Shivajinagar.

Addressing the rally at Khadki Bazaar on Friday night, Rane said, “The manifesto of Sena- BJP alliance has nothing but false promises. These people always criticise us, but they should tell the public what they did when they were ruling the state.”

Pune MP Suresh Kalmadi and sitting MLA Chandrakant Chhajed also addressed the rally. Topics: Pune Sena More Stories from this section Finally, Urali to get vermicomposting unit Property show draws house buyers in good numbers The phantom of the blogosphere Two more die of swine flu in Pune, toll …More

TOI : PUNE: The Nigdi police on Saturday detected as many as 13 cases of house break-ins and recovered almost 1,900 grams of gold and silver together worth Rs 16 lakh, following the arrest of four people, including a jeweller.

The police have identified the suspects as Vikram Vithhalsingh Thakur (20), Amir Kabir Shaikh (22) and Rupesh Tatya Shelke (22) from Nigdi and jeweller Prakash Telaji Parmar of Tingarenagar, Yerawada.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team led by inspector Rajendra Kunte (crime) of Nigdi police station laid a trap and nabbed the suspects.

Speaking to TOI, inspector Kunte said, “One of the suspects Thakur has a previous criminal record. He has 19 cases of house break-ins registered against him.”

Kunte added that the gang used to enter the premises of a housing society in a four-wheeler on the pretext of inquiring about an address, and would then break into the locked house with in a span of five to ten minutes.

“During sustained interrogation Thakur revealed the names of Shaikh and Shelke, and also confessed his involvement in cases of house break-ins,” Kunte said, adding, “We have also managed to arrest Shelke and Shaikh who have confessed their involvement in 13 cases of house break-ins.”

Kunte said that so far, the police have detected 11 house break-ins from Nigdi, two from Pimpri and one from Bhosari. “We have also arrested a jeweller Parmar, who allegedly purchased gold from the suspects. We have recovered 1,063 gms of gold and 800 gms of silver totalling to Rs 16 lakh from the suspects,” Kunte said.

The suspects were produced before the magistrate court on Friday and remanded to police custody till October 5. Topics: Pune salary More Stories from this section Finally, Urali to get vermicomposting unit Property show draws house buyers in good numbers The phantom of the blogosphere Two more die of swine flu…More