India, Maharashtra, vijay kumbhar, News, Governance, RTI, Transparency, Civic Issues, Real Estate: July 2017

Thursday, July 20, 2017

Pune Citizens to be smart without knowing anything about Smart City Projects....

Critics believe that smart city is just a buzz-phrase that has outlived its usefulness’ it is the wrong idea pitched in the wrong way to the wrong people. Some also believe that, In the end, they will destroy democracy. And that’s what exactly happening in Pune. Lack of Transparency, Confidentiality, one sided agreements, Conflict of Interests and mockery of the democracy are the key issues involved in the smart city projects. Pune Municipal Corporation PMC has resorted to a limited transparency policy by not fully disclosing matters related to the smart city projects.

Initially making governance citizen-friendly was the key objective of smart cities projects, and public participation was said to be core tool to achieve it. However, afterwards instead of transparency, the secrecy became the buzzword for smart cities mission. And Pune city was on the forefront of mission secrecy. The smart city mission had already killed basic principles of the 74th amendment to the constitution of India that was brought to strengthen urban local bodies. The secrecy clause in Smart city Mission has taken the soul out of Right to information act.

There were several irregularities in the process of selection of Consultant & in the preparation of the proposal for participation of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in the Smart Cities Challenge. There were serious violations of the Model Request for Proposal (RFP) and the irregular concessions were granted to Mckinsey against public interest.

Now to keep citizens in the dark from the activities of smart city projects, they have coined new idea of code of conduct for directors and senior management Personnel of the company Pune Smart city Development Corporation Limited (PSCDCL). PSCDCL is the company formed as Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under Smart City Mission for implementation of Smart City Projects in Pune. This code of conduct prevents Directors and Senior Management Personnel of PSCDCL from disclosing anything with any member of the Press or Media in the matters connected with the Company or its business unless specifically permitted by the Board of Directors of the Company or the Chairman/Managing Director of the Company.

CODE OF CONDUCT THAT PSCDCL IS SET TO ADOPT

This Code of Conduct is applicable and binding on the Directors and Senior Management Personnel of the Company and other officials of the Company as may be identified

Code of Conduct — The Board Members and Senior Management shall:

(a) Always act in the best interest of the Company;

(b) Adopt highest standards of personal ethics and integrity in their dealings with the Company:

(c) Make disclosures, to the Board of Directors, relating to all material financial and commercial transactions or other dealings in which they have personal interest, and may have a potential conflict with the interests of the Company or are required to be disclosed as per applicable regulations:

(d) Ensure security of all confidential information made available to them in the course of discharge of their duties or otherwise

(e) Follow all prescribed safety and environmental norms:

(f) Not engage with any member of the Press or Media in the matters connected with the Company or its business unless specifically permitted by the Board of Directors of the Company or the Chairman/Managing Director of the Company;

(g) Conduct themselves and their activities outside the Company in such a manner as to not adversely affect the image or reputation of the Company;

(h) Accept and act according to this Code of Conduct and affirm compliance with this Code on annual basis.

In addition to the code of conduct specified above, Independent Directors shall abide by the duties as specified in Schedule IV to the Companies Act, 2013 or any amendments thereof.

This code is subject to review by the Board from time to time.

The code of conduct will be discussed in PSEDCL’s next meeting. The past experience of Smart City mission in Pune is not satisfactory. The democracy was nowhere on the agenda of Pune Smart City Mission and hence this code of conduct will also be passed in the meeting.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Here is how they siphon of taxpayers' money in PMC

The video clips reproduced in this post expose the nexus of politicians and bureaucrats siphon off taxpayer’s money. Earlier they used to “manage” the tenders. But now they directly or indirectly take part in tendering process. Though this matter is related to Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), scenario all over India is no far different. In these clips an PMC employee can be seen confessing how they manage, prevent others from taking part in tendering process and how much money the officials of PMC got in other scams.

In this first clip the employee was talking about the money he had given to his senior officer Daundkar in recruitment and tendering scams. He had also confessed that reallocation of PMC funds of 30 crore rupees was proposed to give pending bills of security contracts. He alleged that Chief security officer Santosh Pawar and Daundkar would get 4 and 1.5 crores rupees from that fund. He had admitted that he also had security contract in PMC and would get 25 lakh rupees. Later on the state anti-corruption bureau (ACB), Pune arrested Santosh Pawar for demanding bribe of Rs10 lakhs from a security firm and accepting an 'installment of Rs4 lakhs. And that proved that this employee’s confession and allegations were true.

Basically reallocation on municipal funds is illegal thing. Unless there is an emergency municipal funds cannot be reallocated. There is vast increase in reallocation of municipal funds in last 4 -5 years. Last year the amount of reallocation had touched almost 400 crore rupees. Municipal commissioner is bound to prevent illegal reallocation of funds. However no commissioner has dared to stop illegal reallocation in PMC for the reasons best known to them only.

In PMC Contractors approach officers, Suggests the work that is not approved in regular municipal budget. Officers then approve it and prepare estimates. Then some corporator suggests reallocation of funds to the standing committee. Then standing committee approves it. Then so called tender process is followed and surprisingly same contractor gets the work. At every stage of this process everybody’s share has been fixed. If any other contractors try to get the contract, the employees and office bearers of PMC harass them. And that is the reason; in every department of PMC same 4 to 5 contractors repeatedly get the work.

In this second clip you can see the same employee is batting for his another tender in PMC’s Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar hostel. He was calling it “My Tender”. In November 2015, the PMC had called a tender to provide meals to students wherein they had shortlisted three contractors — Sai Pro Food, Malhar Catering Services and Shri Sangameshwar Catering and Services. They had quoted different prices. Sai Pro had quoted Rs 2,990 per student, whereas Malhar Catering Services and Shri Sangameshwar Catering pitched their monthly fees at Rs 4,000 and Rs 4,100 per student respectively. Bodke pressured him to delegate the contract to Malhar Catering Service despite him quoting the highest rate. He had also ordered Banaker to disqualify Sai Pro from the tendering process as they had quoted a lower amount. (Audio clips of this case are reproduced at the bottom of this post)

In this clip the employee also explains how much money the officers and office bearers’ of PMC school board received in teacher’s transfers scam. They had collected 4 lakh rupees each from 28 teachers. Two officers got 15 lakh rupees each and the members of the school board got 5 lakh rupees each. In this matter then president of PMC education board Pradeep alias Baba Dhumal, former president and member Ravi Choudhary, clerk Santosh Memane and middleman Bhausaheb Bhapkar were arrested by ACB.A teacher from zilla parishad school in Ahmednagar district had applied for an inter-district transfer to a PMC school. The municipal commissioner had signed the order, but the accused had asked for a bribe to hand it over to the teacher.

Though the municipal commissioner kunal Kumar has assured inquiry in this matter, there are hardly any chances of any action or penalty. Because this is not new case, already complaints in this case have been filed with him a year before. However there is no progress till today.

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Friday, July 7, 2017

Temple Rose Investment Scam: 3,700 agents under the police scanner ...

More than 3,700 agents are under the police scanner in Temple Rose Real Estate Pvt Ltd (TREEPL) investment scam. Economic Offences wing ( EoW) have registered cases against TREEPL, its associate companies, directors and agents in 400 crore investment scam. The cases have been registered under Maharashtra protection of interest of depositors Act (MPID) and various other sections of Indian Penal code. Under MPID authorities have right to seize properties of companies, its directors, partners , associates and agents purchased by the amount of the crime proceeds. In TREEPL case many agents have received more than crore rupees as a commission.

Police is in possession list of all the TRREPL agents spread over Maharashtra. Along with TRREPL director Devidas Sajnani one agent Ramesh Aghicha has been sent to magistrate custody after police custody. So far Police have frozen 68 bank accounts and seized 440 acres of land, car, 13 mobile phones, laptop, computer 7.5 lakh rupees cash and deposits given towards house and office of the agents.

To avoid police enquiry some agents have changed their postal addresses and mobile numbers. However that may not help in longer run because they have to recover the entire amount involved TRREPL investment scam. The police Inspector of EoW Pune Mr. Rajesh Puranik has appealed citizens and all those concerned to communicate if they know addresses and phone numbers of TRREPL agents.

Some day or other police will definitely going to knock their TRREPL agents’ doors. To avoid all this embarrassment it is better for the agents to deposit the amount received in TRREPL deals with police or court. The list of TRREPL is reproduced below. Go to the document then press Ctrl + f and then search name. If find any acquaintances or if your name is their then communicate with eowPune @gmail.com or PI Mr. Rajesh Puranik on 9870196701.

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

TRREPL Investment scam: 68 bank accounts frozen, 440 acres of land, car and 13 mobile phones seized by EoW Pune

68 bank accounts have been frozen and 440 acres of land, car, 13 mobile phones, laptop, computer 7.5 lakh rupees cash and deposits given towards house and office of the agents have been seized from directors, agents of crore Temple Rose Real Estate Pvt . Ltd (TRREPL ). Economic Offences Wing (EoW) of Pune police has seize this property in 400 crore TRREPL investment scam case. Surprisingly, though TRREPL scam is spread over all over Maharashtra and other states also and thousands of investors have been duped for hundreds of crores of rupees surprisingly no political party, leader or administration has uttered a single word about this case.

Truly Yours Forever or Cheaters Forever

EoW Pune City is investigating criminal case filed under section 409, 420, 467, 468, r/w. 34, 120 (b) IPC, sec. 3 of Maharashtra Protection of Interest of Depositors (In Financial Establishments) Act, sec. 3, 4, 5, of Prize Cheat and Money Circulation (Banning) Act, 1978 has been registered by Mrs. Nitin Shukla against the directors, promoters, office bearers, agents and other known and unknown persons concerned and connected with the TRREPL and Temple Rose Group of Companies (TRGC ).

After a long stay in Police Custody main accused in this case TRREPL director Devidas Sajnani and agent Ramesh Aghicha are still in magistrate custody while Keshav Narayan Iddya, Markas Yohan Thorat, Deepa Devidas Sajnani, Vanita Devidas Sajnani, Sunil Dada Gaji , Dharmesh Narendra Joshi, Sharmila Dharmesh Joshi , Kanhaiyalal Narayadas Sadhawani , Ashok Toalaram Pamnani , Sapna Ramesh Aghicha , Sweta Ramesh Aghicha and Shrikant Parmeshwar Jaiswal have applied for anticipatory bail.

Without political leaders’ or administration’s support it is impossible to run any scam in India. The way TRREPL directors, their associates bought huge lands violating all the Land Laws in various parts of Maharashtra, indicates that they have support from political parties, leaders and administration also. Otherwise it is difficult for anybody to buy lands violating ceiling on holding Agricultural Lands, prevention of fragmentation of agriculture land. Nobody can buy agriculture land unless he is agriculturist. However TRREPL people who do not have seen the agriculture in their entire life easily managed to obtain agriculturist certificate.

One can imagine the reason behind political leaders’ or administration’s silence. We have earlier witnessed such silence after arrest of Mahesh Motewar of Samruddha Jeevan scam. Almost every political party or leader had good relations with him. After his arrest only that support vanished. If we track other companies associated with TRREPL , Devidas Sajnani and his associates we can sense involvement of political persons.

Temple Rose Group of Companies (TRG) was not only involved in Real Estate or plotting scams it had also planned Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) scheme in the name of wellness industry. Glossy brochures were printed. They were promising income of whopping 1.63 crore only in 14 months to the agents .TRG had also advertised wellness products like pills etc.

This is the list of properties of directors of Tempe Rose Group and their associate. small investors got nothing but directors created amazing land bank needs to seized by Authorities

TRREPL is not a small scam; thousands of investors have been duped by them. In Pingori ‘Rose City’ project itself more than 4000 investors had invested 5200 plots. They have 42 such schemes all over Maharashtra and more than 1300 hundred agents. With this number one can imagine number of investors and money involved in this scam. Out of 4000 investors of “Rose City “Pingori project more than 1000 are from defence establishments, large number of them are NRIs and hence cannot file a complaint or depose before investigation Officer. That is the reason why only 200 complaints have been filed in EoW pune and few in Mumbai. Nobody from 42 other projects has come forward to lodge a complaint. And none of these investors in all these schemes have received any plot or their money back.

As the cases against TRREPL have been filed under Maharashtra Protection of interest of depositors Act ( MPID) also. Under this act authorities can seize, sell and compensate investors. But to happen those authorities have to recover proceeds of crime. Out of 1300 TRREPL agents some have received amount of more than one crore rupees. To avoid police custody some agents have shown willingness to deposit money received in this scam with police or court. However his number is very less. From others this money has to be recovered . Some of them have diverted these amounts to buy other properties or things. As per act these properties also have to be seized. And hence it is difficult for EoW Pune or Mumbai only to investigate and seize all the properties of TRREPL directors, agents and its associates. Considering these facts government needs to constitute Special Investigation Team ( SIT) or hand this case over to central Bureau of Investigation.

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TRREPL Case; Classic example of Police Public Participation….

Temple Rose Plotting Scam Exposed

Temple Rose Real Estate Scam is an Organised Crime...

RTI Katta on Pune - Maharashtra Real Estate Scams

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Temple Rose Real Estate Investment Scammer sent to five day police custody in Pune

Devidas Sajnani behind the bars, other plotting and investment scammers stunned !

Lust of gullible investors for heavy returns is the reason behind flourishing fraud investment schemes

Number of fools who want to get cheated is multi million times more than the actual cheaters in Ponzi Investment