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Indian Express
3 days ago
- General
- Indian Express
Pankaj Deore appointed as CMD of Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd
Pankaj Deore Thursday was appointed the new chairman and managing director (CMD) of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML), the city's public transport utility, to replace Deepa Mudhol Munde before she could complete her tenure. Before being posted as PMPML chief, Deore was the chairman of the District Caste Validity Committee in Latur. Meanwhile, Munde has been posted as Commissioner, Social Welfare, Pune. Munde was appointed as the chief of PMPML in July 2024, but was transferred before completing the standard three-year tenure. Before Munde, Sachindra Pratap Singh was appointed as PMPML CMD, and was similarly transferred just three months after his appointment in October 2023. PMPML has been in a dire state for the past many years. The Indian Express reported in April this year that Pune needs 4,000 to 6,000 buses according to various studies, but has only 2,000 buses since at least 2021. An Institute for Transportation and Development Policy study highlighted that Pune requires 4,500 buses, while a Comprehensive Mobility Plan developed by the Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation Limited (Maha Metro) stated that the city needs over 6,000 buses. However, the actual numbers are much lower. In April 2022, the fleet number stood at 1,959, in February 2023, at 2,083, in February 2024 at 2,009, and in February 2025 at 1,916. In addition to this change, other officers were also transferred in the city. Trigun Kulkarni was posted as the Deputy Director General of YASHADA, Satishkumar Khadake was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority, Dnyaneshwar Khilari was appointed as the Additional Settlement Commissioner and Additional Director of Land Records, and Mahesh Patil was appointed as the Commissioner of the Tribal Research and Training Institute. Similarly, Manjiri Manolkar is now the Managing Director, Maharashtra State Farming Corporation, Sonali Mule is the Director (OBC) at Bahujan Welfare, and Gajendra Bawne has been posted as Commissioner, Ground Survey Development Agency.
Hans India
09-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Maha govt to prepare action plan to undertake river rejuvenation programme
Mumbai: Maharashtra Environment Minister Pankaja Munde on Wednesday in the Legislative Council said that the government will soon prepare an action plan to undertake the river rejuvenation programme, adding that the local bodies in the state are lax in setting up sewage projects. She also announced that department-wise meetings will be held after classifying the 56 polluted rivers in the state. She replied to a question by Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil and other members on what measures the state government is taking to prevent water pollution in the state's rivers. They also asked what action has been taken against companies that pollute water, stating that 311 out of 6033 rivers in the state are polluted. 'According to the Central government's National Water Quality Measurement System, a total of 603 rivers in the country are regularly surveyed. Accordingly, the report published in 2022 said 56 rivers in the state were included in the polluted river belts. Also, only 50 per cent of the sewage discharged into the rivers from local bodies in the state is treated and discharged. Department-wise meetings will be held after classifying the rivers regarding polluted river belts and sewage treatment. Also, a monitoring committee has been formed to control water pollution and suggest measures,' said Minister Munde. Minister Munde said that the sewage from industries should be discharged into rivers and canals instead of being processed. Therefore, she added that the government will discuss with the industries department and find a way out. 'Nag, Mula, Mutha and Chandrabhaga river rejuvenation projects have been undertaken. Some local self-government bodies have been lax in setting up sewage treatment projects. Therefore, a monitoring committee has been formed to control it. Currently, the sewage treatment project has not been completed. Therefore, notices will be given to the entities responsible for pollution,' she added. Meanwhile, Minister Ashish Shelar on Wednesday assured the Legislative Council that the government will take necessary measures to ensure that the medical reimbursement scheme provided by the government to its employees is processed online and transparently and will also study the cashless scheme being implemented in Haryana and other states. The Minister was replying to a calling attention motion by MLA Satyajit Tambe regarding the medical scheme for government employees in the Legislative Council. He said that the Public Health Department provides health coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year to beneficiary families under the combined Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana and Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana. This scheme is cashless. 'Group B of this scheme includes families holding white cards (including government and semi-government employees) and families not holding any type of ration card. This also includes government and semi-government employees of the state. Benefits are admissible for medical treatment in 2184 approved hospitals. A total of 6,958.2 crores have been spent in this scheme since 2020-21 in 37 lakh 62 thousand 601 cases,' said the minister. Minister Shelar said that in the five years from 2017 to 2022, the government spent Rs 238.13 crore, Rs 248.32 crore, Rs 213.86 crore, Rs 226.47 crore, and Rs 346.13 crore on reimbursement, respectively. He assured that this system would be made more transparent.
Indian Express
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Action plan for river rejuvenation will be prepared soon: Pankaja Munde
Environment Minister Pankaja Munde on Wednesday informed the legislative council that an action plan for river rejuvenation programme in Maharashtra will be prepared soon and division-wise review meetings will be held to discuss the plan focusing on 56 polluted rivers in the state. Ranjitsinh Mohite-Patil of BJP had raised a starred question on what measures the state government is taking to prevent water pollution in the state's rivers. The members also raised a question on what action has been taken against companies that pollute water, stating that 311 out of 6,033 rivers in the state are polluted according to the report of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Mohite-Patil pointed out that 9758.53 MLD of sewage is generated by 391 local bodies in the state. Out of this, only 7,747.24 MLD of sewage is treated and the remaining water is released into the river without treatment. Munde said that an action plan for the river revitalisation programme will be prepared. 'According to the Central Government's National Water Quality Measurement System, a total of 603 rivers in the country are regularly surveyed. According to the report published in 2022, 56 rivers in the state were included in the polluted river list. Also, only 50 percent of the sewage discharged into the rivers from local bodies in the state is treated and discharged. Division-wise meetings will be held after classifying the rivers regarding polluted rivers and sewage treatment,' said Munde. She added that a monitoring committee has been formed to control water pollution and suggest measures. 'Through this, a proposal will be sent to the Chief Minister to increase the powers. He also announced that a model programme will be undertaken in Maharashtra for river revitalisation,' she said. She maintained that the sewage from industries should be discharged into rivers and canals after being processed. 'Therefore, we will discuss with the industries department and find a way out. Nag, Mula, Mutha and Chandrabhaga river revitalisation projects have been undertaken. Some local self-government bodies have been lax in setting up sewage treatment projects. Therefore, a monitoring committee has been formed to control it,' she added.
Hindustan Times
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Unified demand for committee to probe CRZ violations on 350-acre Andheri plot
Mumbai: The legislative council on Monday witnessed rare scenes of unity between ruling party and opposition benches as legislators cutting across party lines demanded stringent action against developers accused of illegal destruction of mangroves, unauthorised reclamation of land and violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms on a 350-acre plot in Andheri West. Environment minister Pankaja Munde (Hindustan Times) Environment minister Pankaja Munde said orders would be given for immediate removal of reclamation and she would visit the site personally along with legislators and appoint a committee to probe the matter, if required. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab raised the issue in the legislative council, asking why 70 acres out of the 350-acre plot spread across city survey numbers 161,167,168 and 169 had been excluded from the no development zone. He alleged that the developers – Usha Developers Co-op Housing Society, Billine Impex Pvt Ltd and Pearl Coschem Pvt Ltd – were occupying government land and action should be taken against them under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers, Drug Offenders and Dangerous Persons Act. BJP MLC Praveen Darekar, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Sachin Ahir, Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap supported the demands raised by Parab and demanded that a committee be appointed to probe the matter. In response, environment minister Pankaja Munde said the developers had been fined ₹2.22 lakh last year following complaints about reclamation in the buffer zone of mangroves. Another fine worth ₹87.26 crore was levied on the developers in April 2025 as they continued with reclamation activities, the minister said. 'It is a serious matter. Mahalaxmi Enterprises was doing reclamation for the developers…FIR has been lodged in this matter. Though a fine of ₹87.26 crore was imposed, the developers have not paid it. So orders will be given for immediate collection of fines,' Munde said. Given the gravity of the issue, she would personally visit and inspect the site along with legislators and the guardian minister of Mumbai suburban district. 'If required we will set up a committee to probe the matter,' she said. She also informed the council that out of the 70 acres excluded from the no development zone, 35 acres has been allocated to the National Law University, Mumbai. The developers would be booked for mangrove destruction, she said. Deputy chairperson of the council, Neelam Gorhe, asked Munde to visit the site within a week and take a decision on appointing a committee before the end of the monsoon session on July 18. Gorhe also said that Munde and other MLCs needed to request chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to hold a meeting on the issue as many departments were involved.
Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Minister to visit mangrove damage site in Andheri, to form probe panel if necessary
Maharashtra Environment Minister Pankaja Munde on Monday said that she will visit the 300-acre mangrove land in Andheri, part of which is facing reclamation, and conduct a probe through a committee, if necessary. Members from the Opposition and ruling party in the legislative council united over the issue of illegal destruction of mangroves, violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and reclamation by developers to occupy the 300-acre land in Andheri West and demanded stringent action against the developers and officials involved. Munde announced the removal of reclamation and said that she will visit the site personally along with legislators and if required will set up a committee to probe the matter. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab in legislative council raised the issue of illegal destruction of mangroves and illegal reclamation of land to occupy 300 acres of land at Andheri west city survey number 161,167,168, 169 through a calling attention motion. Parab questioned why 70 acres of land was excluded from the no development zone and turned into development zone, and demanded immediate removal of reclamation done by private developers. He alleged that as it is a case of occupying the government land, too, action should be taken under Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities of Slumlords, Bootleggers, Drug Offenders and Dangerous Persons Act (MPDA). BJP MLC Praveen Darekar, Shiv Sena UBT MLC Sachin Ahir and Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap supported the demands by Parab. All party legislators demanded to set up the committee to probe the matter as it involves various departments. Munde admitted that complaints were received about the reclamation in the buffer zone of mangroves so the government officials imposed a fine of Rs 2.22 lakh last year but as developers continued the reclamation, officials imposed a fine of Rs 87.26 crore in April 2025. 'It is a serious matter and Ms Mahalaxmi Enterprises was doing reclamation for the developers Ms. Usha Developers Co-op. Housing society, Billine Impex Pvt Ltd and Pearl Coschem Pvt Ltd. FIR has been lodged in this matter. Though the fine of 87.26 crore was imposed on the developers they have not paid it. So orders will be given for immediate collection of fines from them. Considering the gravity of the issue, I will personally visit the site along with legislators, guardian minister of Mumbai suburban district and inspect the site. If required, we will set up the committee to probe the matter,' said Munde. Deputy chairperson of council Neelam Gorhe asked Pankaja Munde to visit the site in one week and take a decision about the formation of the committee before the end of the monsoon session of the state legislature on July 18. Gorhe also said that Panjaka Munde and all of us need to request Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to hold a meeting on the issue as many departments are involved in the matter. She also informed that of the total land 70 acres of land was excluded from the no development zone and of that 35 acres has been allocated for the National Law University Mumbai. She also announced that developers will be booked for the destruction of mangroves.
