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TOI : PUNE: The state government has issued formal notification for deleting 0.18 hectares (18,000 sq ft) from a plot reserved for a municipal school in the Yerawada town planning scheme. This area will now be included in the residential zone in an adjacent plot.

The urban development department had issued the notification for modification on September 5, just a few days after the election code of conduct came into effect.

The general body meeting of the Pune Municipal Corporation had in October 2007 taken a decision to reduce the area of the municipal plot reserved for a school by 0.18 hectares and include it in the adjacent plot in the residential zone. The proposal had been forwarded to the state government in September last year. The PMC followed the legal procedure under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act before sending the proposal, the government stated.

In its notification, the government said that before taking the decision on the proposal submitted by PMC, the government made due enquiries and consulted the state director of town planning. The government stated that the modification proposal was necessary in the “public interest” and should be sanctioned.

In the Yerwada Town Planning scheme, the PMC was allotted 1.51 hectares of land at the final plot number 75. The owner of the adjacent plot (number 76) was allotted 3.96 hectares of land. The owner had complained that following measurement, his plot (No. 76) turned out to be 3.78 hectares, that is 0.18 hectares less than the actual allotment on paper. The owner had moved the Supreme Court against the government. In 2005, the state government intervened in the matter and urged the owner to withdraw the case and assured him that the government would allot him the remaining 0.18 hectares of land.

Accordingly, in November, 2005, the government directed the PMC to hand over 0.18 hectares of land from the…More

TOI : PUNE: Good news for innovators and entrepreneurs. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) has appointed Pune-based Venture Center to operate a funding support scheme for entrepreneurs and micro/small entrepreneurs.

Venture Center has already submitted proposals on behalf of 10 entrepreneurs in Pune region. The center will support technology commercialisation activities of MSMEs whose proposals are cleared by the Ministry.

Kaushik Gala, business development manager of Venture Center said, “The government has a lot of schemes for innovators and entrepreneurs but not many know about it. We help entrepreneurs seek funding support through various government agencies.”

Venture Center, an initiative of the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), is an independent not-for-profit company hosted by the National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) and funded by the Department of Science and Technology.

“If technology entrepreneurs in the field of electronics, mechanical, chemical and material science, biotechnology among others want to transform their idea into a product, they will need at least Rs 10 to 15 lakh as there is a lot of experimentation involved. We will bridge the gap between the entrepreneurs and the government by seeking funds from various government agencies which are perfectly aimed at technology innovation and commercialisation.”

Besides, the Venture Center has created a database of various government schemes which are presently available for entrepreneurs. The database, called the financing landcapes in India for technology ventures’ has listed several government funding schemes for entrepreneurs at various stages of technology commercialisation, ranging from proof-of-concept and prototyping to market trials and commercial production. The database can be accessed at http://www.venturecenter.co.in/funding/funding.php,” Gala informed.

“For example, if an entrepreneur is working on a polymer-based solution for treatment of spinal cord injury and at the same time a doctor wants to display his need for a particular problem, it can be sought from this database. Ranging from idea promotion to comemercialisation, this database has…More

TOI : PUNE: Sudden lancinating’, burning’, like thousand needles pricking’, akin to red chilly powder being thrown on the face or eye’, or like lightning hitting one side of the face’. These are just a few descriptions given by 31-year-old rickshaw driver Sunil Jogdand to describe his facial pain which is caused by trigeminal neuralgia (TN) – a nerve pain disorder.

There are people like Sunil who have suffered pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia, and they know how difficult it is to get over it. Enduring this facial pain can indeed make life a living hell. “You live in fear of unpredictable painful attacks, which leads to sleep deprivation and under-eating. The condition leads to irritability, severe anticipatory anxiety and depression,” said 44-year-old Johar Kadiyani, a small-scale businessman from Shahada in Nandurbar district who is undergoing treatment at Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital (DMH).

Neurosurgeon Jaydev Panchwagh of DMH says, “Trigeminal neuralgia is considered by many to be among the most painful conditions and was once labelled the suicide disease’. People with trigeminal neuralgia suffer intermittent severe pain that interferes with daily activities such as eating and sleeping. The condition can lead to life-threatening malnutrition. Suicidal depression is not uncommon.” It is seen among people of all age groups. There is no age specificity.

“I was suffering from a very severe pain on the right side of my face for last seven years. I was told that there is no cure for it. I was not able to touch my face, brush teeth on the right side. Shaving was also difficult. The pain was like an electric current – excruciating and unbearable,” said 40-year-old Brahmadev Kadam, a motorbike mechanic.

Typically, there is a trigger point on one side of the face which, when touched, starts the pain. A breeze flowing on the face, washing the face, gums getting touched by a toothbrush or food or water, facial movements while…More

TOI : PUNE: The media trainees of the Symbiosis Institute of Media Communication has organised a seminar, Footprints 2009′ at the Symbiosis Vishwabhavan on October 24.

Meant to be a platform for media stalwarts and trainees to explore the prevailing trends in the media industry, the seminar has two themesthe growing concern for climate change The Green Battle’ and the future of the advertising industry Advertising-The road ahead’. The event has been sponsored by the Education Times among others.

S B Mujumdar, the principal director of Symbiosis International University, will deliver the opening address while those who will be present in the panel discussion on the Green Battle’ include Satish Magar, the president of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India (CREDAI) and Chandrani Chatterjee, the head of Greenpeace, Pune among others.

The second session will be attended by a number of professionals from the advertising industry including Vijay Khambati, Chandramauli Prasad, Karl Gomes and Nandita Khaire. A photography exhibition has also been organised that will offer young artists space to showcase their talent. Topics: Seminar Media More Stories from this section Maximum 15 pc surplus revenue in unaided schools, says panel State govt okays inclusion of Yerawada plot in residential zone Shot in the arm for innovators Nerve di…More

TOI : PUNE: Terming the blast in Margao, which killed two people on Friday night, as “an act of sabotage”, the Sanatan Sanstha, a right wing group on Sunday denied any connection with the incident.

Speaking to reporters here, Shambhu Gaware, a representative of the Sanatan Sanstha in the city, also denied reports that Sandip Shinde, a native of Pune and a member of the Sanstha, had any link with the blast.

Gaware said that Shinde had not been arrested. “He was only interrogated and then let off. The organisation has no connection with the blast. We feel it is a case of sabotage,” he added.

According to Gaware, Shinde, who was associated with the media wing of the organisation in Pune, has been working in Goa for the last two years. After the blast, he was called by the police for interrogation as he shared the room with Melgunda Patil, one of the men who died in the blast.

“Our organisation is working for the promotion of spiritual thoughts. We do not support any unlawful activities,” Gaware said, adding, “We want the probe to be completed and the real culprits punished.” The Sanstha said it was ready to extend all support to the police in their investigations.

Meanwhile, the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti has also come out with a statement saying that their organisation has no connection with the blast. “No responsible official has named our organisation. Still, our name has been added in some media reports with prejudiced intentions,” the release said.

Meanwhile, the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) Mumbai have begun its investigations in the case. “Our team from Mumbai is in Goa and helping the Goa police,” a senior official from the Pune ATS said. Topics: Sanstha Sanatan More Stories from this section Maximum 15 pc surplus revenue in unaided schools, says panel State govt okays inclusion of Yerawada plot in residential zone…More

TOI : PUNE: The civic administration system is in for a major rehaul. Now, citizens who lament that the files in PMC offices take ages to move and that their complaints are rarely addressed, may soon have a different story to tell. Taking the cue from the corporate way of assessing employee performance, the Pune Municipal Corporation will now have a system wherein the work flow of every employee will tracked. Not only is the move aimed at increasing the efficiency of officials, but also at building the image of the PMC.

Speaking to TOI, additional commissioner M S Devnikar said that work on bringing about “administrative reform” began around two months ago. “Multi-pronged measures are being taken to bring about changes at all levels. It is called the Rajiv Gandhi Prashasan Gatimanta Abhiyan’. We decided to go ahead with this project when we felt that officials were involved in multifarious duties, but it was difficult to track the progress of all their responsibilities. Additional work is allocated to them and their attention is diverted from their regular duties. Hence, the idea to have a regular monitoring system (RMS) was proposed. The software will be ready for use in a few weeks,” Devnikar said.

Citing an example, Devnikar said that every department receives complaints from citizens or Right to Information (RTI) applications. “Data for each department in terms of how many complaints have been received and when will be compiled. When the complaints are redressed, it will be reflected in the system. This way, the official or his senior will be able to monitor the progress being made in disposing of complaints and which officer has been most efficient in doing so,” Devnikar said.

He added that there will be a complete check and control of all issues dealt with at the PMC.

Deputy commissioner K C Karkar, who has been given charge of the project, states…More

TOI : PUNE: Investigations into the sensational murder-rape of software engineer Nayna Pathak-Pujari have revealed that the suspects had given lift to one unknown person along with her on October 7, who got down near Magarpatta city.

“We do not know the identity of the person who had taken lift along with Nayana. If he comes forward it will help us trace the absconding suspect,” said deputy commissioner of police (Zone-IV) Jalindar Supekar.

The police have arrested three suspects including a cab driver and a security guard so far. The suspects have been identified as Yogesh Raut (20), Mahesh Thakur (24) and Raju Chaudhary (23), all from Khed in Pune district.

Supekar said that on the night of October 7, when Nayna took a lift in the cab, there were four suspects in the car. One of them is still at large. Besides Nayana, the suspects had offered lift to one more person. He later got down near Magarpatta city after which the suspects kidnapped Nayana, robbed her and killed her. “We are trying to trace the person who was given a lift along with Nayana that evening. He should come forward to help the police trace the absconding suspect. If he comes forward, we promise we will not disclose his identity. He can contact police inspector (crime) of Yerawada police station on cell phone no 9764069899,” Supekar added. Supekar said, “One of the suspects was working as private security guard at the software company. We have decided to seek explanation from the private security firm that provides security to the software company as per the directives given by the joint commissioner of police Rajendra Sonawane (Law and Order). Within day or two we will be issuing show cause notice to the security firm.”

Supekar said, “We will seek all the details from the security company. We will also seek what went wrong. After their reply we…More

TOI : PUNE: A Mumbai-based lecturer and his environmentalist brother’s untiring efforts and concern for snakes helped save a six-feet long Rock python which was found in a bruised condition on the Pune-Mumbai highway near Lonavla on Saturday night.

The reptile, which weighs about six kilos and is not in a very good shape, is currently undergoing treatment at the rescue centre of the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Katraj.

On Saturday night, Raghunath Patil, the Mumbai-based lecturer of microbiology, was heading towards Pune for a Diwali vacation when he found the injured rock python near Lonavla around 9 pm.

“Its neck was tied with a rope and head was badly bruised. I saw it lying on the roadside and waited as I didn’t know what to do. At first, I thought it was dead, but it moved a bit. Then I called my brother, who has knowledge about wildlife, and asked him as to what can be done,” Raghunath said.

Raghunath’s brother, Dharmaraj Patil, who is a programme officer with the centre for Environment Education, tried to find out if there was anybody from the Forest Department in Lonavala who can administer immediate treatment, but his efforts failed. So he advised Raghunath to bring it to Pune.

Meanwhile, a passer-by named Manish Pahuja stopped to see what Raghunath was doing. He helped Raghunath pack the python in a carry bag even as he tied it to his bike and brought it all the way to Pune.

“Raghunath reached Pune around 11 pm and when I pulled the python out of the carry bag, I noticed a major skull injury. It looked like someone had hit it on the head. Its eyes and nostrils showed movement which assured us that the python was still alive,” Dharmaraj informed.

Dharmaraj further said, “I then called up Prabhakar Kukdolkar, assistant conservator of the Forest Department, to find…More

TOI : PUNE: Following the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) which started an online system for accepting building plans, the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has introduced a similar system, but on a trial basis.

For the civic authorities, the advantage is that the building plan is scrutinised automatically by a software in a much shorter time, avoiding manual work. Besides there is little scope for mistakes, say the civic officials.

The PCMC had appointed an agency for implementing the scheme and develop the software. According to PCMC deputy city engineer Vasant Kachi, one of the main features of the scheme is that once the plan is submitted online, the details immediately go to other concerned departments like water supply, drainage, and garden. These departments are able to send in their no-objection certificates in quick time.

At present, the PCMC is accepting the building plans only for new constructions. Citizens who need to make changes in existing buildings need to submit the building plans manually. According to civic officials, the corporation receives around 30 to 35 fresh building plans every month.

In the online system, citizens and architects can make their pay-ments online. An online search facility has also been provided by which citizens can know the status of the building plan that is whether it has been approved, rejected or is under review. The online system provides necessary help to architects for online submis-sion of the building plans. Officials said that the system, which is being implemented on a trial basis, has been a success.

The online system is part of the municipal corporation’s plan for providing e-governance facility to the citizens. The municipal corporation had earlier introduced facilities like online submission of property tax, submission of tenders, and system for submission of octroi statements for a large number of industries who have an accounts system for payment of octroi.

Introducing a few other innovative systems,…More

TOI : PUNE: The 2007 case involving the rape and murder of Jyotikumari Chaudhary, a BPO company employee, pending before the district and sessions court here will be expedited, said special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam on Sunday.

The state law and judiciary department, Mumbai, had appointed Nikam in the case on the basis of recommendations made by former superintendent of police Vishwas Nangre-Patil of the Pune rural police.

Speaking to TOI, Nikam said, “The trial against Ajmal Kasab, involved in the Mumbai terror attacks last year, is nearing completion. Once Kasab’s case is closed, I will concentrate on the Chaudhary case.”

Nikam further said, “The trial court had examined two witnesses in the case. I did not appear in the case initially as I was busy with Kasab’s case. I had the witnesses examined by the local prosecutor from the office of the district government pleader in Pune.

The trial in the case could not proceed further as the concerned judge was transferred, but I am planning to expedite the case at the earliest as it has been pending for quite some time,” Nikam stated.

The Pune rural police had arrested the driver of the pick-up car, Purushottam Borate and his accomplice Pradeep Khopade who allegedly raped and murdered Chaudhary. The two have confessed to killing the girl.

In November 2007, Chaudhary had been found strangled and the vein in her right hand ruptured. Her wrist watch, ring and mobile phone of the victim had been recovered from the suspects and the car involved in the crime had also been seized. Topics: Murder BPO employee More Stories from this section Maximum 15 pc surplus revenue in unaided schools, says panel State govt okays inclusion of Yerawada plot in residential zone Shot in the arm for innovators Nerve disorder makes for painful existence Media seminar to fo…More