Latest news with #PMC
Time of India
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Tackle traffic, environment issues on priority: Kulkarni
Pune: Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni on Friday said Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) was responsible for pending civic issues as well as the city's traffic and environment problems — all of which should be dealt with on priority. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She held a meeting with civic officials at PMC headquarters on Friday. Kulkarni told reporters after the meeting that she was against the riverfront development (RFD) project and rampant tree cutting across civic areas. "A detailed study should be done while defining the blue line and red line near rivers. Discharge of water and its spillover should be considered in accordance with the current carrying capacity. Issues like traffic congestion in different areas should be resolved, especially the concerns raised by commuters at the Gangadham Chowk. The flyover is delayed and should be constructed as soon as possible," she said. Kulkarni said the naturally preserved Naik Island stands to get damaged because of RFD. The project's impact on the Mula and Mutha rivers should be assessed immediately. "There should be no adverse impact on the rivers under any circumstances. Rivers like Ramnadi have suffered because of rapid urbanisation," she added. The MP said the administration should focus on Kalyaninagar residents' issues, including illegal pubs and drug abuse. She said illegal pubs and eateries must shut down and action was necessary since many of the organisations were operating on rooftops without any permission for change of use. "Also, illegal constructions and encroachments are increasing by the day and must be stopped," she added. Pune: Rajya Sabha MP Medha Kulkarni on Friday said Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) was responsible for pending civic issues as well as the city's traffic and environment problems — all of which should be dealt with on priority. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now She held a meeting with civic officials at PMC headquarters on Friday. Kulkarni told reporters after the meeting that she was against the riverfront development (RFD) project and rampant tree cutting across civic areas. "A detailed study should be done while defining the blue line and red line near rivers. Discharge of water and its spillover should be considered in accordance with the current carrying capacity. Issues like traffic congestion in different areas should be resolved, especially the concerns raised by commuters at the Gangadham Chowk. The flyover is delayed and should be constructed as soon as possible," she said. Kulkarni said the naturally preserved Naik Island stands to get damaged because of RFD. The project's impact on the Mula and Mutha rivers should be assessed immediately. "There should be no adverse impact on the rivers under any circumstances. Rivers like Ramnadi have suffered because of rapid urbanisation," she added. The MP said the administration should focus on Kalyaninagar residents' issues, including illegal pubs and drug abuse. She said illegal pubs and eateries must shut down and action was necessary since many of the organisations were operating on rooftops without any permission for change of use. "Also, illegal constructions and encroachments are increasing by the day and must be stopped," she added.
Time of India
20 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Four cos bid for demolition of Hatkeshwar bridge
Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) is moving forward with its plan to demolish the controversial Hatkeshwar flyover bridge. Its second attempt to dismantle the structure is gaining traction after a short-term tender for the work, valued at Rs 9.3 crore, was issued last week. Four companies have expressed interest and submitted their bids and a decision will be taken soon, sources said. The proposal will soon be presented to the roads and buildings committee and the standing committee for approval. Constructed between 2015 and 2017 at a cost of Rs 34 crore, the Hatkeshwar flyover was inaugurated in 2017. But within five years, it deteriorated, leading to its closure for vehicular traffic in 2022. The construction was carried out by contractor Ajay Engineering Infrastructure Pvt Ltd. (AEIPL), with a defect liability period of one year. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad The first cracks on the structure appeared in March 2021, with a report on the poor quality of construction following in May 2021. Material tests by three private laboratories and expert assessments from IIT Roorkee and SVNIT confirmed the issues, culminating in a final report by a three-member committee. The report highlighted several critical flaws: substandard concrete quality, improper water-cement ratio leading to porous concrete, carbonation affecting durability, and insufficient cement content, all contributing to reduced structural integrity. On April 15, 2023, AMC commissioner M Thennarasan announced the decision to demolish the bridge, blacklisting the contractor AEIPL and the project management consultant (PMC) SGS India Pvt Ltd. Four AMC officers were suspended, and departmental inquiries were initiated against four others. An FIR was filed against eight officials of the contractor firm and the PMC under IPC sections 120(B), 406, and 420. The civic body plans to recover all demolition and reconstruction costs from the contractor. Despite issuing three tenders for the project, no bids were received. A fourth tender, with a base price of Rs 51.7 crore, attracted a bid of Rs 118 crore from a Rajasthan-based company, but the tender was ultimately cancelled after a technical evaluation by a five-member committee. An official associated with the AMC's bridge project said on condition of anonymity, "The tender for the demolition and reconstruction of the Hatkeshwar flyover bridge was cancelled, and a new tender was issued for the work at a cost of only Rs. 9.31 crore. Initially, no company showed interest. Subsequently, a short-term tender was issued, and four companies have shown interest. The tender process is ongoing. Once finalized and approved by the standing committee, the demolition of the Hatkeshwar flyover will commence. "
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
PMC receives ₹80 crore under NDMP to mitigate urban flooding
Jun 27, 2025 09:00 AM IST The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has received ₹ 80 crore under the National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP) for urban flood control measures, said Pune municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram on Thursday. In 2023, the central government approved ₹ 250 crore in funds under the NDMA for Pune, instructing that a detailed plan be submitted to the Centre. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO) The central government chose eight major cities - including Pune and Mumbai from Maharashtra - that are vulnerable to urban flooding for the allotment of funds under the NDMP to be utilised for mitigation efforts. In 2023, the central government approved ₹ 250 crore in funds under the NDMA for Pune, instructing that a detailed plan be submitted to the Centre. The minister of state for urban development Madhuri Misal on Thursday took the review meeting at PMC headquarters for various projects. While reviewing, the municipal commissioner confirmed that the funds received from the state government were approved by the central government. 'The PMC had received ₹ 80 crore for urban flood control measures. We have planned the works worth ₹ 600 crore in future for disaster management in the city,' said Ram. To further enhance flood management, the PMC has established a new disaster management cell equipped with modern facilities including a well-equipped control room. The initiative aims to integrate all departments and prepare for disasters in each department.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Delay in tax recovery from merged areas hampers PMC's revenue generation
1 2 3 Pune: Delay in recovery of tax from properties in 32 merged areas under PMC is hampering overall revenue generation of the civic administration. Residents of these areas have been demanding that the civic administration reduce property tax rates. The state govt has put a cap on charging "maximum of twice the property tax compared to what the residents were paying when they were under gram panchayat" but the nitty-gritty of the implementation has not been worked out by the state govt, claimed PMC. According to civic officials, the state has not provided any clarity on rateable values and other formulas to charge rates as per its directives. "So, we are charging property tax as per standard methods. The revenue generation is very limited from these areas because many property owners have not paid taxes," said a senior official of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune The corporation received around Rs 350 crore lessthan last year from property levy due to issues of tax recovery in newly-added areas. The civic administration may come up with an amnesty scheme for these areas, as the state on Wednesday gave new directives to introduce such a scheme for merged locations. The administration earned around Rs1,350 crore till the end of June 2024, which has gone down to Rs1,000 crore this year. "Many property owners, who have not paid tax yet, will pay their dues by the end of month to avail themselves of the benefit of tax discount. The civic administration hopes to see an increase in revenue in next three to four days," said a senior official of PMC. According to activists, apart from delay in recovery from merged areas, even the complications caused due to implementation of 40% tax rebate in connection with PT3 forms have also adversely impacted PMC's income. "Many property owners are getting tax discounts because of issues related to PT3 forms despite being eligible to get the benefit. The administration should give more time for paying the tax at the discounted rates," said Ujwal Keskar of Aaple Pune, Apala Parisar organisation. Minister of state for urban development Madhuri Misal said on Thursday that PMC had been told to submit a proposal to the state govt for property tax calculations for merged areas. Citizens from these areas have claimed that the tax proposed by the civic administration was "higher" than the tax imposed by the gram panchayat before the merger. The citizens are not ready to accept the tax calculation; hence, PMC has been asked to re-draft a proposal and submit the same to the state govt. According to residents, if the tax is charged at the civic administration's rate, the tax amount will go up at least by five times. Along with the residential properties, even the commercial establishments will have to pay additional tax. The residents of the merged villages are apprehensive about paying increased property tax. According to property owners, Rs 2 per square foot is charged on an average as property tax per annum by the gram panchayat. The civic body charges Rs 2 per month. Effectively, the tax amount per square foot went up to around Rs 24 per year when they were merged into PMC. The same situation is likely to repeat in the 23 merged villages. PMC data show that the civic areas had around 8.5 lakh properties prior to 2017. After the merger of 11 villages, the number has gone up to around 10 lakh. Nearly 2 lakh properties have been added to the tax ambit of PMC after the merger of 23 villages. The total number of properties under PMC limits is 12 lakh. Pune: Delay in recovery of tax from properties in 32 merged areas under PMC is hampering overall revenue generation of the civic administration. Residents of these areas have been demanding that the civic administration reduce property tax rates. The state govt has put a cap on charging "maximum of twice the property tax compared to what the residents were paying when they were under gram panchayat" but the nitty-gritty of the implementation has not been worked out by the state govt, claimed PMC. According to civic officials, the state has not provided any clarity on rateable values and other formulas to charge rates as per its directives. "So, we are charging property tax as per standard methods. The revenue generation is very limited from these areas because many property owners have not paid taxes," said a senior official of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC). The corporation received around Rs 350 crore lessthan last year from property levy due to issues of tax recovery in newly-added areas. The civic administration may come up with an amnesty scheme for these areas, as the state on Wednesday gave new directives to introduce such a scheme for merged locations. The administration earned around Rs1,350 crore till the end of June 2024, which has gone down to Rs1,000 crore this year. "Many property owners, who have not paid tax yet, will pay their dues by the end of month to avail themselves of the benefit of tax discount. The civic administration hopes to see an increase in revenue in next three to four days," said a senior official of PMC. According to activists, apart from delay in recovery from merged areas, even the complications caused due to implementation of 40% tax rebate in connection with PT3 forms have also adversely impacted PMC's income. "Many property owners are getting tax discounts because of issues related to PT3 forms despite being eligible to get the benefit. The administration should give more time for paying the tax at the discounted rates," said Ujwal Keskar of Aaple Pune, Apala Parisar organisation. Minister of state for urban development Madhuri Misal said on Thursday that PMC had been told to submit a proposal to the state govt for property tax calculations for merged areas. Citizens from these areas have claimed that the tax proposed by the civic administration was "higher" than the tax imposed by the gram panchayat before the merger. The citizens are not ready to accept the tax calculation; hence, PMC has been asked to re-draft a proposal and submit the same to the state govt. According to residents, if the tax is charged at the civic administration's rate, the tax amount will go up at least by five times. Along with the residential properties, even the commercial establishments will have to pay additional tax. The residents of the merged villages are apprehensive about paying increased property tax. According to property owners, Rs 2 per square foot is charged on an average as property tax per annum by the gram panchayat. The civic body charges Rs 2 per month. Effectively, the tax amount per square foot went up to around Rs 24 per year when they were merged into PMC. The same situation is likely to repeat in the 23 merged villages. PMC data show that the civic areas had around 8.5 lakh properties prior to 2017. After the merger of 11 villages, the number has gone up to around 10 lakh. Nearly 2 lakh properties have been added to the tax ambit of PMC after the merger of 23 villages. The total number of properties under PMC limits is 12 lakh.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Proposal for retaining walls to mitigate floods with state: Misal
Pune: State cabinet minister and Parvati MLA Madhuri Misal on Thursday said the state govt was considering a proposal to allot Rs 200 crore to construct retaining and safety walls as part of flood mitigation and disaster management steps in the city. Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has tabled the proposal before the state govt. Misal said the govt will give further instructions after working on the proposal. The civic body proposed retaining and safety walls at various locations after instances of flooding in the city, but the work has been progressing slowly due to a lack of funds. PMC started the tendering process, however, it was scrapped due to various technical reasons. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune "Besides the construction of the retaining wall, the civic administration has proposed various projects under the disaster management initiatives amounting to Rs 600 crore. The Centre approved Rs 80 crore recently for some projects,"Misal said. The minister was speaking to media persons after a meeting at PMC headquarters with officials on various issues. "The project of upgrading existing sewage treatment plants (STPs) and construction of new STPs has been taken up," she said. On the progress of the Swargate-Katraj underground Metro project, Misal said, "Two stations were proposed in addition to three stations proposed in the DPR. We will see how additional expenses can be shared by the state and centre," Misal said.
