Latest news with #SiddharthShirole
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Shirole demands policy for pruning trees in private properties at concessional rates
Pune: Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole on Monday demanded that the state govt form a policy for pruning trees at concessional rates and municipal corporations pass on the benefits to private properties. "Two people died when a tree from private property fell in Karvenagar following heavy rain. In addition, incidents of roads getting blocked and damage to vehicles are also occurring due to fallen branches. The civic administration should take measures to prune trees to avoid such mishaps," Shirole said at the state legislative Assembly during the monsoon session. Residents, too, have demanded that Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) ease the process of allotting permission for trimming tree branches. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune According to Shirole, PMC prunes dangerous tree branches in the city before monsoon, however, branches of trees on private properties have to be pruned by the property owners after obtaining permission from the civic body. Many difficulties arise in this process, including delays in getting permission from the civic body and contractors charging excessive amounts. "The govt shouldmake a policy decision to ensure that permissions for branch pruning are given to citizens at the earliest. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Irish homeowners eligible for solar 'bonus' if they live in these eircodes Activ8 Learn More Undo The pruning should also be done at concessional rates. The municipal corporations should plan accordingly, and the govt should issue such instructions," he said. Residents have expressed concerns over PMC's failure to trim hazardous tree branches on private properties. Ramesh Mehta, a resident of Shivajinagar, said, "PMC does not trim the branches on its own if trees are located on private properties. Due to the high cost involved in cutting, owners, too,do not come forward. PMC should work out a system for such cases, as safety cannot be compromised. Many trees are on private properties, but their branches tilt towards the road. These must be trimmed without waiting for citizens' applications. " Residents claimed that dangerous branches were not trimmed adequately before the monsoon, resulting in more fallen branches this year. The early arrival of rain left PMC unprepared, leading to fallen branches and causing the closure of several roads, as well as damage to properties and vehicles. Ashutosh Joshi, a resident of the Parvati area, said, "Instances of tree falls were more this time owing to heavy showers. The administration should rope in more staff to trim dangerous branches, as it looks like a lot of work is still pending." According to PMC officials, Civic officials claimed a lack of manpower for the incomplete work. "Regularbranch cutting is carried out before the start of the rainy season. The number of complaints is high, and reaching all spots is a laborious task. So, private contractors are appointed to attend the calls urgently," said a senior official of the PMC's garden department. Pune: Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole on Monday demanded that the state govt form a policy for pruning trees at concessional rates and municipal corporations pass on the benefits to private properties. "Two people died when a tree from private property fell in Karvenagar following heavy rain. In addition, incidents of roads getting blocked and damage to vehicles are also occurring due to fallen branches. The civic administration should take measures to prune trees to avoid such mishaps," Shirole said at the state legislative Assembly during the monsoon session. R esidents, too, have demanded that Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) ease the process of allotting permission for trimming tree branches. According to Shirole, PMC prunes dangerous tree branches in the city before monsoon, however, branches of trees on private properties have to be pruned by the property owners after obtaining permission from the civic body. Many difficulties arise in this process, including delays in getting permission from the civic body and contractors charging excessive amounts. "The govt shouldmake a policy decision to ensure that permissions for branch pruning are given to citizens at the earliest. The pruning should also be done at concessional rates. The municipal corporations should plan accordingly, and the govt should issue such instructions," he said. Residents have expressed concerns over PMC's failure to trim hazardous tree branches on private properties. Ramesh Mehta, a resident of Shivajinagar, said, "PMC does not trim the branches on its own if trees are located on private properties. Due to the high cost involved in cutting, owners, too,do not come forward. PMC should work out a system for such cases, as safety cannot be compromised. Many trees are on private properties, but their branches tilt towards the road. These must be trimmed without waiting for citizens' applications. " Residents claimed that dangerous branches were not trimmed adequately before the monsoon, resulting in more fallen branches this year. The early arrival of rain left PMC unprepared, leading to fallen branches and causing the closure of several roads, as well as damage to properties and vehicles. Ashutosh Joshi, a resident of the Parvati area, said, "Instances of tree falls were more this time owing to heavy showers. The administration should rope in more staff to trim dangerous branches, as it looks like a lot of work is still pending." According to PMC officials, Civic officials claimed a lack of manpower for the incomplete work. "Regularbranch cutting is carried out before the start of the rainy season. The number of complaints is high, and reaching all spots is a laborious task. So, private contractors are appointed to attend the calls urgently," said a senior official of the PMC's garden department.
Time of India
08-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Some Pune ration shops distributed cement-mixed grains to citizens: Shirole in House
Pune: BJP's Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole on Monday flagged alleged irregularities in Pune's food distribution system in the state legislative assembly, claiming that some ration shops supplied wheat and rice contaminated with cement to citizens. "Recently, a shocking case came to light where wheat and rice mixed with cement were reportedly distributed to citizens at certain ration shops in Pune. Such incidents are nothing short of playing with the lives of the common people," the MLA said, while pressing for the appointment of a full-time rationing officer to bring transparency and accountability to the system. The MLA raised the issue after a recent case emerged in Dhankawdi where citizens complained of getting wheat and rice mixed with cement from a ration shop. According to the Food Security Act, govt should provide nutritious grains on ration. "Cement and food grains are kept in the same warehouse," a resident said, demanding an inquiry into the incident. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune A food supply distribution official confirmed the incident and said, "We conducted the inquiry and removed the cement bags from the shop. There are 672 such shops in the city." Shirole also highlighted technical inefficiencies plaguing the department's digital systems. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Providers are furious: Internet access without a subscription! Techno Mag Learn More Undo "The RCMS (ration card management system) website is often slow or down, causing delays in critical citizen services like issuing new ration cards or making corrections," he said. Activists have long been pointing out the issue of registering new ration cards with the updated system. The MLA raised the issue as point of observation and later submitted a letter to the minister of food and civil supplies. Pushpa Waghmode, a domestic help, said she didn't receive foodgrains from a fair price shop for two months despite linking Aadhaar with her ration card. "Last month, my name wasn't on the list at the shop. Even after it was added, I didn't get ration this time due to fingerprint authentication failure," she said, expressing her frustration. Another beneficiary, Nilima Raut, said she did not get ration since Jan. "I took my Aadhaar card to the fair price shop. Even after entering details and providing with my biometrics, the data did not add up," she said. Activist Shubha Shamim said various checks in place were impacting food security for beneficiaries. "The beneficiaries were initially deprived due to issues with linking Aadhaar to ration cards. Now, equipment like face recognition systems aren't helping them either," she said, adding that many beneficiaries lacked smartphones, making Aadhaar linking and authentication difficult. She advocated for exempting ration and anganwadi supplementary nutrition from face recognition systems. Pune district officials confirmed that there was no dedicated officer for Pune city and an official was given additional charge. "A regular post and charge will be able to monitor the issue properly," said an official from the supply department.
Hindustan Times
12-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Pune civic body okays ₹4.3-crore high-tect e-toilet project
Even as the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) struggles to maintain 11 high-tech e-toilets installed across the city, it has now cleared a ₹4.31 crore plan to construct air-conditioned (AC) 'smart toilets' at major entry points and the Pune railway station. These new toilets will include modern features like WiFi, mobile and laptop charging points—drawing comparisons to mall-style restrooms. Under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, 11 automated e-toilets were set up in prominent locations such as Jangli Maharaj Road, Model Colony, Bhandarkar Road, Senapati Bapat Road, Vimannagar, and Taljai Tekdi. Built using ₹2 crore from the Member of Parliament (MP) fund of former MP Anil Shirole, the unmanned facilities offered automatic cleaning and user-friendly interfaces. However, poor upkeep and thefts rendered most of them unusable. Today, only three are functional. 'The civic body is now planning to relocate the remaining e-toilets to safer locations to prevent further damage,' said an official familiar with the matter. Shivajinagar MLA Siddharth Shirole, son of Anil Shirole, is currently in talks with civic officials to revive the e-toilet project and ensure better monitoring and maintenance. Despite these setbacks, the PMC has approved a fresh project to build five high-end AC toilets in high-footfall areas. The new toilets, designed along the lines of those in malls and multiplexes, aim to provide clean, comfortable facilities to commuters and visitors. 'These modern toilets will be built near major city entry points and Pune station. They will be fully air-conditioned and equipped with smart features. The estimated cost is ₹4.31 crore,' said Sandeep Kadam, Deputy Commissioner, Solid Waste Management Department. The five planned locations include Katraj Chowk ( ₹86.11 lakh), Balewadi on Pune-Mumbai Road ( ₹86.25 lakh), Shewalwadi Bus Depot on Pune-Solapur Road ( ₹86.35 lakh), Pune Railway Station ( ₹86.08 lakh), and Wagholi on Pune-Nagar Road ( ₹86.40 lakh). To ensure ongoing upkeep, the PMC will allow advertising rights at the sites. The toilets will be paid-use. Currently, the city has around 1,200 public toilets, but most are in poor condition. Citizens routinely report broken plumbing, water shortages, and overall unhygienic conditions, despite the corporation spending crores on maintenance. The push for upgraded toilet infrastructure comes after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar directed the PMC in December to build high-quality public toilets in the city. Pune's first modern public toilet falls into disrepair Built in 2011 at Parvati Industrial Estate on Satara Road, Pune's first modern toilet block featured nine seats, stylish interiors, and cost ₹10 lakh. Once a model facility, it now lies in poor condition due to years of neglect and lack of maintenance.
