Latest news with #SatyajeetTambe
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Road widening projects not helping in reducing traffic congestion in big cities: MLC Tambe
Pune: MLC Satyajeet Tambe on Tuesday urged the urban development and home departments to collaborate on finding solutions to the growing traffic menace in major cities, while highlighting the state's traffic woes in the legislative council, particularly on congested highways like Pune-Nashik and Pune-Nagar, which remain bottlenecked despite widening efforts. Tambe, along with other MLCs, raised the hardships faced by common people because of traffic congestion. "According to the latest report of the TomTom index on traffic, Mumbai and Pune are among the cities with the highest traffic congestion. To resolve this issue, some stringent steps are needed from state govt," Tambe said. While state govt and NHAI have undertaken road widening work on various highways and arterial roads of cities, Tambe said, "Earlier, it would take four to five hours to travel between Pune and Nashik and two hours from Pune to Ahilyanagar. Now, despite the road widening work on sections of these highways, the traffic congestion has increased. It shows that road widening has failed to keep pace with the rising vehicle population. " You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune Replying to Tambe on behalf of govt, cabinet minister Uday Samant admitted that traffic congestion became an acute issue in major cities. "Every day, a large number of vehicles are getting registered in major cities, which is adding to traffic problems. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Ingin Tahu Tentang Diagnosis Limfoma? Dapatkan Info Selengkapnya Limfoma Baca Undo State govt is, however, working on promoting the mass transport system. It has a plan of creating a network of Metro service where 393.76km of network is planned in Mumbai, 136.42km in Pune, and 83.82km in Nagpur. Once this network is in place, it will encourage people to use Metro service, reducing the use of private vehicles," Samant said. Tambe said govt was introducing modern technology, but it should be foolproof. "State govt is creating a network of CCTV cameras through which traffic offenders are being caught and challans are being issued. Some misappropriation is, however, happening with the system as several vehicle owners have complained that they are either getting wrong challans or double challans for the same offence. According to the figures of state govt, there are Rs 1,000 crore pending for recovery through challans till 2024," Tambe said. He demanded that state govt should hold a joint meeting of home department and urban development department officials to address the traffic issues. "Instead of working in isolation, these departments should work jointly and review certain projects' success to check if they have helped improve the traffic situation in the state," Tambe said.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Flyovers on old Mumbai-Pune highway awaiting Centre's approvals: Shinde
Pune: Deputy CM Eknath Shinde informed the assembly on Thursday that state govt was awaiting Centre's approvals for nine flyovers on the old Mumbai-Pune highway to alleviate traffic congestion. He was replying to MLA Satyajeet Tambe's query about a 7-year-old pending proposal for easing vehicular movement on the highway. "The Mumbai-Pune National Highway (48) falls under Centre's jurisdiction, with Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation acting as a concessionaire. A proposal for constructing nine flyovers has been submitted to the Union ministry of road transport and highways," Shinde said, in a written reply. He said temporary safety measures, including rumble strips, blinkers and traffic signboards, had been installed at proposed flyover locations to ensure smooth traffic flow, and prevent accidents. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune State govt had planned to build 16 flyovers, each 200-500 metres long, on the highway at Rs 208 crore to ease traffic congestion. In 2018, MSRDC identified nine critical locations on the highway that required immediate attention owing to safety concerns. The areas, including Somatane and Limb phatas, were prone to accidents because of sharp curves and hilly terrain. A particular stretch of 16km between Khopoli and Lonavla was highlighted as a major safety hazard. To address this, flyovers were proposed under a public-private partnership model, which could reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune by 45 minutes. The project, however, remained stalled, awaiting Centre's approval, leaving commuters to deal with worsening congestion. An expert said, "The estimated cost of the project was Rs 208 crore (based on the 2021-22 rate schedule). Further delays may lead to cost escalation and technical implementation issues for the project." Integration with railway project delays Pune-Nashik highway works Pune: Cabinet minister Dada Bhuse on Thursday said the likely changes in the road alignment were leading to the delay in completing the Pune-Nashik highway. "The state was considering whether the Pune-Nashik high-speed railway project alignment and highway direction could be integrated. The objective behind this was to minimise farmers' losses," he said, while replying to a question raised by MLA Satyajeet Tambe at the state assembly. He said these changes were becoming necessary, considering certain sensitive matters at the national level. The industrial highway project linking Pune and Nashik, slated to connect with the Surat-Chennai highway, has been stalled since 2015 due to various issues. These include implementation delays, farmer protests, alignment disputes, and demands for interchanges to support local development. The proposed highway will pass through Rajgurunagar, Chakan, Narayangaon, Aalephata, Sangamner, Sinner, Shirdi and Niphad. Bhuse said land acquisition would be done only after taking farmers into confidence. "The proposal for an interchange to connect Sangamner city is under consideration. he said. Once the highway is completed, the current five-hour distance between Pune and Nashik can be covered in just three hours.
News18
02-07-2025
- Health
- News18
Maharashtra Minister Zirwal Promises Action Against Fake Paneer, Harmful Energy Drinks
Last Updated: MLC Satyajeet Tambe criticized the FDA for inaction on adulterated food in Maharashtra, highlighting energy drinks 'Sting' and 'Charged' and fake paneer. Raising the alarm over the rampant sale of adulterated and hazardous food items across Maharashtra, MLC Satyajeet Tambe has once again come down heavily on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its inaction. Speaking during the ongoing monsoon session of the Legislative Council, Tambe expressed grave concern over products like popular energy drinks 'Sting' and 'Charged', as well as counterfeit 'analogue paneer', which continue to flood markets unchecked, posing a severe health threat—especially to the state's youth. This is not the first time Tambe has flagged the issue. Last year, he had urged the government to ban the sale of energy drinks within a 500-metre radius of educational institutions to protect school and college students from the ill effects of excessive caffeine and harmful additives. Despite assurances at the time, Tambe said no concrete steps were taken on the ground. He reminded the House that he had even met FDA Minister Narhari Zirwal in January this year to press for strict action, but the department's apparent apathy remains a cause for concern. In a strongly worded statement, Tambe criticised the FDA's excuses—staff shortages, outdated laboratories, and insufficient vehicles—as reasons for its inability to act effectively. He said, 'These cannot be the pretext for ignoring the health and safety of citizens. Such excuses only highlight the indifferent attitude of the department's officials. We will not tolerate this negligence any longer." Stressing the need for accountability, Tambe demanded that FDA officers be given clear targets for inspections and legal actions, and that failure to deliver should invite disciplinary proceedings. Responding to Tambe's pointed allegations, Minister Narhari Zirwal assured the House that the government is fully aware of the issue's seriousness and will ensure prompt and decisive measures to curb the sale of such unsafe products. Tambe, however, cautioned that mere assurances will not suffice this time. 'We expect visible and firm action against the rampant sale of harmful energy drinks and fake paneer that jeopardise the health of our youth," he said, adding that the state will soon witness whether the FDA keeps its word or not. First Published: July 02, 2025, 22:05 IST
