Charholi residents call bandh tomorrow to oppose proposed town planning schemes
1
2
3
Pune: Residents of Charholi have intensified their protest against PCMC over the proposed Town Planning schemes and have called for a 'bandh' in the area on Friday.
Many residents, primarily small landholders, expressed strong opposition to the plan, claiming that the scheme would reduce their landholdings and adversely impact livelihoods.
The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) proposed five Town Planning (TP) schemes covering a total of 1,425 hectares in Charholi. An intention in this regard was published in the newspaper last month.
Residents argued that they lost big portions of their land to previous development projects and could not afford to lose more land now. "My family lost six acres for the development of two major roads in the area.
If the administration now plans to take away our remaining farmland, which our families preserved for generations, we will resist it strongly," said Rohidas Kakade, a local farmer.
Earlier, the civic body proposed six TP schemes — one for Chikhali and five for Charholi. The Chikhali plan was scrapped because of strong opposition. Now, residents are demanding rollback of the Charholi schemes also. They want the civic body to focus on executing development according to the existing Development Plan (DP).
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
The place-to-be for automation and robotics
Undo
Relevant topics from automation, AI and robotics
Undo
Valuable contacts with international exhibitors
Undo
Fresh input at the top-class supporting program
Undo
The leading trade fair for automation & robotics
Undo
Two weeks ago, a group of residents staged a protest in front of the municipal corporation and submitted a formal letter of objection to the municipal commissioner.
Ulhas Kate, another farmer, said they lost land for a petrol pipeline and the widening of a 90-metre road. "The municipal corporation placed a reservation on our land in the existing DP. Now, with the TP scheme, they want to take even more land, which is unjust," he said, alleging that the civic officials had put reservation in the TP scheme only on land owned by farmers.
A majority of landowners in the Charholi area are small farmers. "If the TP scheme allows the municipal corporation to acquire 40–50% of our land, the remaining land will be of no practical use," Kate said.
BJP leader and former PCMC mayor Nitin Kalje, a resident of Charholi, said TP schemes had not been successful in other parts of the state and could delay development in Charholi. "Even if a single landowner challenges the scheme in court, the entire process could be stalled for years," he said.
Kalje argued that TP schemes were more suited for newly merged areas of the municipal corporation, not for rapidly developing localities like Charholi. "Charholi saw massive growth, with several high-rise residential towers already built with PCMC's permission, while construction of more such towers is under way. If the civic body allowed construction, I don't understand how it plans to reserve these lands now under the TP scheme," he said.
Prasad Gaikwad, the deputy director of PCMC's town planning department, said there was some misunderstanding among residents regarding the TP schemes. "We are working to create awareness about the advantages of these. These plans are designed to promote systematic and planned development. These will ultimately benefit local residents," he said.
Gaikwad clarified that the TP schemes were still in the initial phase. "The municipal corporation has only published a notice of intention in the newspaper. There is still a long way to go before implementation. If residents continue to raise objections, the civic body is open to taking an appropriate decision at a later stage," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
A UK industry is still able to hire foreign workers under visa clampdown
Construction workers from abroad will still be able to migrate to the UK despite tighter visa restrictions announced by the government, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said, as Labour attempts to slash migration without damaging critical sectors of the economy. Speaking to Parliament's Home Affairs Committee on Tuesday, Cooper said officials had already identified a series of occupations that would not appear on the new Temporary Shortage List . That list will allow employers to bring workers into the country who would not otherwise be eligible, because the job is classed as below degree level. ALSO READ: Rising costs and visa hurdles push international students beyond the US,UK by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Motivos para escolher um Sofá de Couro [Descubra] Fiori Sofás Saiba Mais Undo But the construction industry, and other sectors needed by the government to support its economic growth ambitions, will still appear on the list. That will come as a relief to firms in the UK who worried that restricting the migrant workforce would hamper their business. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) 'Construction will continue to be on the Temporary Shortage List,' Cooper told lawmakers, adding that the industry would also have to develop a workforce strategy showing how it would train and recruit more British workers over time. Roles 'will only be able to go on the Temporary Shortage List if they are effectively in critical areas, for example those that are critical to the industrial strategy or something like construction.' Live Events ALSO READ: Oxford University opens applications for Rhodes Scholarship Cooper's reassurance to the construction industry comes just weeks after the government unveiled its immigration white paper, which set out a series of changes to the UK's immigration system. Most employers will now only be able to recruit from abroad for roles which are degree level or above, and workers will have to stay in the country for 10 years, rather than five, before they can apply for settled status. Those restrictions were an attempt by Labour to stave off the anti-migrant Reform UK party, which has soared in popularity over the last year and won a slew of council seats in local elections last month. ALSO READ: UK plans stricter rules for migrants seeking permanent residency Currently, the UK has an Immigration Salary List which allows employers to recruit from abroad for over 1,300 roles where there is currently deemed to be a shortage. Being on that list means employers can recruit overseas nationals into those roles on a salary up to 20% below the general threshold. Cooper said that system was too lax, and had contributed to the unprecedented number of migrants coming to the UK while providing no incentive for businesses to hire or train out-of-work Britons. The white paper abolishes the current system to replace it with the Temporary Shortage List. Cooper said the government will cut up to 180 occupations from the current Immigration Salary List — but that would still leave more than 1,000 on it. 'We've already identified, as part of the immigration white paper, a series of occupations that will be taken off what used to be the immigration salary list,' Cooper said. 'The number of occupations on the temporary shortage list will be significantly lower than the number of occupations currently on the immigration salary list.'
Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
India's plant-based protein market is heating up—But can it overcome these challenges?
The alternative protein sector in India must bridge the price gap with the traditional meat and dairy industry, while also addressing infrastructure gaps. This approach is crucial to attract budget-conscious consumers and build a sustainable market, say industry stakeholders and experts. This requires investing in efficient local raw material processing, robust supply chains, and scalable production to minimise disruptions and enhance competitiveness. With significant growth potential and low penetration, especially in urban areas, companies must adapt quickly to stay competitive and add stakeholders and experts. Scaling production is key Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Najbardziej relaksująca gra roku 2025. Bez instalacji Taonga: Wyspa Farma Zagraj teraz Undo Experts and stakeholders say the alternative protein sector needs large-scale plant-based protein production facilities, requiring substantial investment, to grow and remain competitive in both Indian and global markets. They agree that scaling production in the alternative protein sector requires significant investment. 'The challenges in India's cold storage infrastructure, like storage capacity, uneven distribution, high initial capex and energy consumption, pose scalability challenges to the smart protein value chain,' says Rajeev Nayar, Partner at KPMG in India. Live Events India's alternative protein market needs government support through regulations, financial incentives, and public-private partnerships to scale up, according to experts. To optimise costs, the industry can adopt closed processing, simplify equipment like bioreactors, and reduce media costs through value engineering, they say. There are over 100 start-ups innovating across plant-based, fermentation-derived, and cultivated proteins, spread across 23 Indian cities. India's smart protein market, currently valued at Rs 350 crore (nearly $42 million), is expected to reach $4.2 billion by 2030, according to a report by Deloitte & GFI India. Sneha Singh, MD of non-profit think tank The Good Food Institute (GFI), says that young start-ups in the alternative protein sector struggle to raise capital, underscoring the need for large food processing companies to get involved and support the industry's growth. Similarly, Nayar says that boosting productivity in both upstream processes (media optimisation, cell cultivation, and harvesting) and downstream processes (cutting, grinding, and packaging) can help lower costs. Raw material procurement: A challenge India's plant-based meat industry faces hurdles due to limited domestic cultivation of crops like peas, soy, and chickpeas, leading to heavy reliance on imported ingredients, according to experts. Smitha Devigere, Founder and CEO of Devigere Biosolutions, notes that despite India being a top pulse producer, it lacks innovation and large-scale production of value-added products like protein extraction. Consequently, the country imports around 90% of its alternative protein, mainly from China, Europe, and Western nations. 'Plant proteins are costly due to high import duties, transportation costs, and inherent taste and texture issues, such as a beany flavour and texture. This is ironic, given that India exports pulses as commodities but imports high-value protein extracts,' says Devigere. iStock India's plant-based meat industry faces hurdles due to limited domestic cultivation of crops like peas, soy, and chickpeas, leading to heavy reliance on imported ingredients, according to experts. 'Plant proteins require processing to match the texture and taste of animal-based proteins. To succeed, India needs innovation in two key areas: efficient protein extraction and developing animal-based alternatives using clean, sustainable, and cost-effective technologies. Industry partnerships with innovators are crucial to drive large-scale growth,' adds Devigere. High costs Smart protein products in India struggle with high costs compared to traditional meat and dairy, making it challenging in a price-sensitive market, says Singh. 'With reference to cultured meat, one of the biggest challenges is ramping up the production to an industrial scale at a cost comparable to the actual meat. One of the hurdles is to significantly bring down the cost of media. However, enough work is currently on the way to mitigate the price of media,' says Navneet Singh Deora, CTO, BlueTribe. 'Global companies are employing a range of approaches to minimise costs, including blending small amounts of cultivated meat or fat with plant-based ingredients, focusing on producing basic cell mass (undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells) rather than fully structured tissue, producing media components such as growth factors in-house, developing novel bioreactors, and exploring continuous or semi-continuous production processes. All these approaches need significant participation from government organisations and should be part of the strategic policy,' says Deora. Flavor plays a crucial role Flavour is also a key factor limiting the acceptability and marketability of plant-based meat alternatives. Plant proteins often have undesirable flavours, such as beany notes, bitterness, and astringency, which can hinder consumer appeal, experts say. Deora suggests a unified regulatory framework and public tastings can promote cultivated meat adoption. Countries like Singapore and the Netherlands have successfully implemented pre-approval tastings by gathering consumer feedback and building familiarity, which can inform regulatory clarity, he says. 'Currently the industry does adapt to flavour maskers or taste modulators which are derived via bio-fermentation. Alternatively, working with high-purity protein and using appropriate processing steps could help mitigate the rigt flavor in the final product,' adds Deora. Global ecosystem According to Nayar, plant-based meat alternatives in Western markets initially faced taste and pricing challenges. Successful market entry strategies included partnerships with restaurants and retailers, such as collaborations with quick-service restaurants in the US that supply burger patties. The US has been a leader in the technological development of alternative proteins such as plant-based meat (PBM) and cell-based meat (CBM) with growing market participation. 'The development of contemporary PBM products in the US has been driven by a combination of concerns about animal welfare, the environment, and human health. The evolution of PBM products based on soy, wheat, pea isolates, and lupin beans has been facilitated by more efficient raw materials, logistics, and retail, which has enabled scalability of processes and the development of more complex value chains,' says Deora. In 2021, US retail sales of plant-based meat (PBM) reached $1.4 billion, with a 74% growth rate over three years, signalling mainstream adoption, says Deora. However, despite this growth, the PBM industry's market share remains relatively small compared to the global animal protein market, adds Deora. 'India can be a global hub' Despite challenges like limited consumer awareness and acceptance, experts believe India's alternative protein start-ups have immense potential, and the country is well-positioned to become a global hub for smart protein innovation, driven by its growing economy, high-protein crop production, and cost advantages. The country can establish protein isolate production units, reduce imports, and potentially export to other countries, driven by lower manufacturing costs, affordable labour, and government incentives, they say. 'High cost can be tackled by using conventional sources of proteins from the food by-product. For example, effective inputs in terms of using cheaper food grade raw materials like by-products from the oil industry (Defatted soy flour/ Defatted Peanut flour) with the protein as high as 50% can further optimise the cost along with the use of functional ingredients and adequate processing aids,' says Deora. The experts say achieving price parity with traditional meat is crucial, and emerging alternative protein sources like fungi, potato by-products, seaweed, algae, and CO2-based protein production hold promise for future growth. 'To accelerate private financing towards smart proteins, particularly cultivated meat technologies, streamlining the process for international investors and introducing more flexibility in cross-border financing are crucial steps towards attracting substantial foreign investments. Infrastructure remains a significant bottleneck, with high costs associated with setting up specialised facilities, such as fermenters for cultivated meat,' says Singh. The experts suggest targeted government grants and incentives for private investors in alternative protein infrastructure can significantly reduce capital costs. Utilising shared facilities and existing infrastructure can also help startups optimise resources and scale up efficiently. Strategies like leveraging grants, angel investors, and marketing partnerships can provide the necessary capital and market exposure for growth, they say. 'India's ingredient manufacturers working with indigenous crops have the opportunity to plug into the global value chain and offer diversified inputs for plant-based foods,' says Singh.
Time of India
37 minutes ago
- Time of India
Asian stocks rise as South Korea elects new leader amid Trump's steep steel and aluminium tariff rollout
Representational image Asian stock markets moved up on Wednesday, due to gains in the US, while futures inched lower. South Korea's Kospi led the rally, rising 2.4% to 2,763.32 after liberal candidate Lee Jae-myung won the presidency. His win followed months of unrest, including a brief martial law under the now-removed conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol. Lee is expected to focus on economic revival through public spending and fresh trade talks with the US. News agency Associated Press quoted ING economist Min Joo Kang as saying that South Korea's economy was already shrinking before Trump's tariffs came into play — shrinking 0.2% in the first quarter — and warned that economic recovery remains a challenge. The new South Korean president on Wednesday warned that trade protectionism posed a threat to the export-dependent country. "The rapid changes in the global order such as rising protectionism and supply chain restructuring pose a threat to our very survival," Lee said in a speech as he took office, in a reference to global trade chaos sparked by US president Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 rose 1% due to gains in tech and pharma stocks. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Toyota shares climbed 2% after it announced a $33 billion deal to acquire Toyota Industries and take it private. However, Toyota Industries shares dropped 12.5%. In China, the Hang Seng gained 0.6% and Shanghai Composite added 0.3%. Taiwan's Taiex also rose by 2.1%. Investors are watching closely as president Donald Trump's 50% tariff on steel and aluminium takes effect on Wednesday. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 0.6%, the Dow gained 0.5%, and Nasdaq was up 0.8%. Dollar General saw a major jump of 15.8% after reporting strong results. However, many companies have paused future forecasts due to trade uncertainty. The OECD cut its US growth outlook to 1.6% for this year, down from 2.8%. The job market remains steady, with more job openings reported in April. A key employment report is expected on Friday. Meanwhile, markets remain hopeful about potential trade deals between the US and countries like China, though no confirmed meeting with Xi Jinping has been announced. Tech stocks like Nvidia and Broadcom led the US rally. Treasury yields stayed stable after weeks of volatility. Oil prices fell slightly, and the US dollar slipped against the yen. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
