After being “little bit urban” same cities are now ready to be SMART

After being “little bit urban” under Jawaharlal Nehru Urban renewal Mission ( JNNURM) many same cities are now ready to be SMART  under PM Narendra Modi’s Smart Cities scheme. And off course Pune and Pimpri Chinachwad are  no eception to that.PM Narendra Modi has squashed JNNURM and started the smart city scheme where the Centre and state will fund  some amount  remaining will be contributed by the chosen cities. There are some guidelines framed for cities to be smart under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT)

Photo Courtsey https://www.sunstonecommunication.com

The smart city mission will focus on water supply, sewerage facilities and sewage management, storm water drains to reduce flooding,. pedestrian, non-motorized and public transport facilities, parking spaces, and enhancing amenity value of cities by creating and upgrading green spaces, parks and recreation centers, especially for children.

Photo Courtsey kannanranji.wordpress.com

Public information, grievance redressal, electronic service delivery, citizens’ engagement, waste to energy & fuel, waste to compost, 100% treatment of waste water, smart meters & management, monitoring water quality, renewable source of energy, efficient energy and green building, smart parking, intelligent traffic management system are the key areas that are to be improved under smart city mission.

The ​Central government had invited proposals from cities who want to be a part of smart cities mission. The cities were supposed to send proposals after consulting people . However Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) being already smart, ​it sent a​n​ invitation to some ​"​smart​"​ activists and NGO’s to give consent for smart city proposal. PMC sent​ the​ invitation​ ​on 8th ​July (Evening) and convened the meeting on 9th ​July i.e very next ​day ​at 11 A M .

​The names of participants are not known. However, former ​Major ​General and P​resident of Nagrik Chetna Mach refused to be “PMC Smart” activist or NGO.  The reasons he ​gave for declining to attend were 1) ​The ​invitation ​for the meeting received very late and it is not possible to attend​ the​ meeting at ​the ​11th ​h​our 2) PMC  hasn’t shown any proof whether it has ​the ​capability of​ making Pune a​ Smart City​ as PMC has failed in public transportation, water​ supply​ and solid waste management.​ ​PMPML has failed because of ​PMC does not give the promised fundsand PMC has also failed in completing any project as per the rules and regulations.​ ​3) How the funds under JNNURM were spent known to all.

However PMC sent proposal to state government. Meanwhile Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation also sent proposal to be part of Smart cities. PMC at least did a farce of public participation, PCMC didn’t even bother to ask or consult anybody. Now state government has sent PMC and PCMC”s proposal together to central government

Smart city means a city equipped with basic infrastructure to give a decent quality of life, a clean and sustainable environment through application of some smart solutions. However as the new generation’s life revolve around smart phones most of suggestions given are related to mobile applications. For them being smart means only use of smart phones and mobile apps. PMC is to be blamed for this to happen because they didn’t provide background material to citizens before inviting suggestions.  Unless basic infrastructure is not improved improved mobile apps or computer can do nothing.

As far as many municipal officers are concerned they use computers as typewriters only. If you send them email they take printout and process it manually, for them that is the height of e governance. Anyways, fortunately app lovers haven’t sent proposals for online games, casinos, discotheques or pubs as new generations need. For detail suggestions visit  http://punesmartcity.in 

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DP report of pune city , Bound to land in controversy

The report prepared by the planning committee on the development plan for old city limit of Pune city is once again in controversy. PMC has taken stand that report will be made public after it is presented to the civic general body (GB). PMC will check with the legal department. After getting approval, they will upload the report on the PMC website.

These reports are bound to land in controversy because there is lot of difference between report submitted by 4 members and 3 members in marathi. Every page of these reports except report submitted  by 3 members  has signatures on each and every page.About metro policy 4 members have suggested that there should three FSI, it should not be compulsory and not only within 500 hundred metres of both sides Metro but should be applicable to whole of the city.And amount collected through premium on additional FSI should be called Urban Development fund and 60% of this fund should be used for Metro 15% for PMPML , HCMTR and Mono Rail and 25% for developing basic infrastructure .while 3 members have suggested 4 FSI all over city.

The 4 members have suggested that road widening in sector 1 should be done as per 1987 DP of Pune city while three members have suggested that  in Gavthan and  and congsted  areas roads should be developed as per 1987 DP.

3 members have also mention that one member Mr. Chetan tupe was not present in some meetings of committee while  in report submitted by 4 members there is no such remark.

Corporators from various parties had written to the municipal commissioner and municipal secretary, demanding that the report should not be kept sealed. Meanwhile some corporators received the report on Wednesday morning.

This is something funny .PMC had earlier also taken stand that revised DP was of confidential nature .However it was  being circulated allegedly amongst builders and others with vested interest but the citizens of Pune were not being given access to it by the PMC. I had procured a copy and put it up on this blog

Despite the Right to Information (RTI) Act and the Public Disclosures Act in place which mandates any municipal corporation to put that information in the public domain which affects the public at large, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has kept the revised draft of the Development Plan (DP) for the old city limits of Pune, under wraps. I had mortified this secrecy by procuring the copy and uploading it on this blog for all to see.

This time also while PMC is reluctant to make planning committees report, It was in so many corporators and reporters hand. But still PMC is not putting it on its website Here are copies of report submitted by committee on DP.

1) Planning committee report by 4 members

2) Planning committeereport by 3 members

3) Corrections to theDraft DP

4) Suggested modificationto the development control rules

5) HCMTR alignment map

6) Decision on hearing asper MRTP act section 51

7) Planning committeemembers recommendations

8) Dissent Planningcommittee report by members SarangYadwadkar, A.M.chauhan and Dr.Sachin Punekar

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Pune Draft DP -20 lakh sq.ft of land dereserved and several reservationschanged 

Draft for Suggestion and objections to the reviseddevelopment plan of old limit of Pune city.

PMC's in camera public meeting

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Vijay Kumbhar

RTI Resource Person, RTI Columnist

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Email – kvijay14@gmail.com

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PMC officers shy away from their duties

Recently I sent some photographs to some senior Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officers. It was evident from the photographs that some buildings have come up by encroaching upon the nalla in a prime location of Pune city .After sending photographs I called some officers and gave them the exact location of the encroachment. I thought they would act on their own.  However, nothing happened. Then once again, I called one officer and asked about what action they have taken. He said he would send his officers to look in to the matter.

After few days once again I called up that officer and asked what was the situation? . he bluntly said. Sir, please give an application mentioning your complaint so that we could move forward. I said, why should I give the complaint? . Isn't it your responsibility? I have given you photographs and exact location. From photographs it is evident that nalla has been encroached upon. You are duty bound to take action .Then why you need my complaint? . He had no answer.

It is my experience that PMC officers always try to hide behind someone. They don't dare to take action on wrongdoers. Hands in gloves with wrong doers may be the reason behind that. As real estate, prices are escalating sky high. Developers do not bother to encroach upon anything. Property buyers are always ignorant about this. They think that as the authority has given the permission everything must be legal, just, and safe. In addition, officer like in this case put in danger lives of innocent people.