Interview of Pimpri-Chinchwad's Deputy Regional Transport Officer Ajit Shinde

‘We want to ensure fast delivery of driving licences, other documents’
- CAMIL PARKHE Sakal Times Saturday, 26 July 2014 - 11:52 PM IST
Tags: PCMC, industrial township, transport, RTO, road safety, driving licences, Pimpri, Camil Parkhe

The number of vehicles in the industrial township of Pimpri-Chinchwad has been rising steadily. Pimpri-Chinchwad's Deputy Regional Transport Officer Ajit Shinde speaks to Camil Parkhe on his plans to ensure road safety and expedite procedure for those purchasing new vehicles, seeking driving licences and other documents.

What are the challenges faced by the deputy regional transport office in Pimpri-Chinchwad?
The vehicle population in Pimpri-Chinchwad and surrounding areas has been increasing. The transport vehicles in the city are around 90,000 and the total number of vehicles including private vehicles in the jurisdiction of our office is 11 lakh. The jurisdiction of the office includes Pimpri-Chinchwad as well as some nearby towns. This calls for measures to ensure regular inspections of all kinds of vehicles. Those seeking learner's driving licence and driving licence need to be issued the documents expeditiously and hassle-free.

What are the measures undertaken by your office to improve services to the people?
We are undertaking inspection of vehicles, private and commercial to ensure safety of the road users. The inspection involves checking brakes and vehicle documents. There is no issue of staff personnel. The autorickhaws in the city are now fitted with electronic meters. People can lodge a complaint if any of the autorickshaw drivers refuse to charge fares as per the meter reading and we will take action against the erring drivers. School transport committees comprising delegates of parents, school management and transporters are also formed to provide safe transport to school students.

What are the new facilities that are planned by your office?
My office has planned various measures to ensure transparent and expeditious functioning to provide better quality of service to people. Our office has already introduced online registration for securing learner's licences with effect from July 22. The office will shift to the new spacious premises within three to four months. We want to ensure 'zero pendency' functioning with immediate delivery of driving licences, registration certificate (RC) cards and other documents.

 

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Pimpri Chinchwad's Science Centre

91,000 people visit PCMC Science Centre in five months
- CAMIL PARKHE Sakal Times Tuesday, 9 July 2013 - 05:23 PM IST
Tags: PCMC, Science centre, children, education, Pimpri, Camil Parkhe http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=5124568466014487464&SectionId=5171561142064258099SectionName=Pune&NewsTitle=91,000%20people%20visit%20PCMC%20Science%20Centre%20in%20five%20months

PIMPRI: Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporations's (PCMC) Science Centre has received an overwhelming response and a total of 91,000 children and adults have visited the Centre since it was inaugurated five months ago.

It has fetched the civic body a revenue of Rs 43.18 lakh.

The Science Centre, with an aim to provide knowledge with fun, has an automobile gallery and a planetarium as its major attractions. The Centre, established on a seven acres of land, had witnessed heavy rush during the recently concluded summer vacation. During the day-long visit, the students are taken to various sections of the Science Centre and are guided by the education officers on various exhibits and scientific equipments.

Now the civic body's education department has arranged daily visits for students of the PCMC-run secondary schools to the Science Centre.

A batch of 250 students accompanied by their teachers will visit the Science Centre from Tuesday to Friday every week till September 19.

The Centre's Education Officer, Saudagar Shinde, said that it is one of the 42 regional science centres established by the National Council of Science Museums of the Union Culture Ministry in the country.

"It takes about four to five hours for an individual to visit all sections and exhibits,” he said, adding that the Centre receives highest number of visitors on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The Centre is closed on Monday.

AT THE CENTRE

The Science Centre has automobile, energy and fun science galleries, an exhibition hall, an inflatable dome planetarium, a library, an auditorium and 270 exhibits. The entry fee for adults is Rs 50 and for children is Rs 30. Students coming in groups have to pay Rs 20 per head. On an average, 800 people have been visiting the centre daily.

SWaCH, waste pickers body, takes its struggle to citizens

SWaCH takes its struggle to citizens

CAMIL PARKHE

Sakal Times

Saturday, August 25, 2012 AT 05:17 PM (IST)

Tags: PCMC,   SwaCH,   garbage,   waste pickers,   Pimpri,   Camil Parkhe

Launches signature drive to save jobs of wastepickers

PIMPRI: SWaCh, which has terminated its contract of garbage collection within the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) jurisdiction citing unfair treatment, has now launched a signature drive. It is approaching citizens to ensure protection of livelihood of its waste picker members.

SWaCh, a cooperative society of waste collectors, was appointed by the PCMC for door-to-door waste collection in A and D wards. The agency issued a notice to terminate the contract alleging that the PCMC was not interested in continuing its eco-friendly garbage collection model. The civic body is now planning to appoint a new agency for the purpose in the two wards.

In an open letter, SWaCH has said that it had taken taken up garbage collection with an understanding that its waste pickers in the remaining B and C wards would be given the jobs after a year.

The agency alleged that the PCMC betrayed it and tendered out the work to another agency, BVG Group, on different terms. Pointing out that the BVG model does not require collection of user fees.

SWaCH says that the civic body has created a situation in which some citizens have to pay for waste collection and others do not.

The PCMC had recently issued notice to SWaCH about giving minimum wages and other benefits to its members.

SWaCH said its struggle is not over after terminating the contract. "We have to feed and clothe our children, we have to educate them. So we need work. We will approach the same officials who have issued us a notice. We will ensure that they protect our livelihood with the new contractor they appoint and ensure they give all the benefits," the letter says.

It has asked citizens to sign the pamphlet, condemning the PCMC's discriminatory approach in garbage collection in two parts of the city and demanding the integration of the displaced waste pickers in any waste collection model introduced by the civic body.

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