News / Author / Abhay Khairnar

Abhay Khairnar

Articles by Abhay Khairnar

No water for areas of east Pune from Bhama Askhed dam till July 2019

Farmer agitations, coupled with PMC’s inability to finish the ~300 crore water-supply project on time, had made the July 2017 deadline unachievable

The Rs 380.17-crore project, with 200 MLD (million litres per day) capacity, envisages supply of water from Bhama Askhed dam in Khed taluka, 48 km from Pune, to eastern Pune.(RAHUL RAUT/HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Jun 19, 2018 04:35 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

Pune Deputy mayor conducts surprise check, exposes civic body’s monsoon preparedness ‘claims’

Dhende, on Monday, paid a surprise visit to the nallah which runs from Dhanori to the Sathe biscuit factory, a distance of 10km. The regional ward officer and others were also present.

(Fourth from right) Siddharth Dende, deputy mayor, on Monday, paid a surprise visit to the nallah which runs from Dhanori to the Sathe biscuit factory, a distance of 10 km.(HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Jun 12, 2018 03:32 PM IST

ByAbhay Khairnar

PMRDA cracks whip on builders: realtors to pay ₹20,000 cess per flat to get water in Wagholi, other areas

PMRDA commissioner said that the fund will be utilised for setting up water system infrastructure in these areas. Many villages around Pune which are not part of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations are struggling with drinking water shortage.

Water Tankers seen supplying water to societies in Kharadi in Pune.(Shankar Narayan/HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Jun 07, 2018 04:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

RPI disinvites CM Fadnavis from state-level convention

After receiving negative feedback from workers, the RPI decided to keep the CM away from its state-level convention despite having invited him earlier.

The RPI’s new political flex at the Pune railway station, for the state-level convention, on Thursday.(SANKET WANKHADE/HT PHOTO)

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Updated on May 25, 2018 02:54 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

HT initiative: Pune’s Zero Stone to be restored by PMC

The work is being undertaken by Arvind Shinde, senior Congressman and leader of the opposition in PMC, as a part of his ward development work.

Congress leader Arvind Shinde (2nd from left) along with Abhay Vaidya, resident editor HT Pune (L), Abhay Khairnar, senior journalist HT Pune (R) and Abhijit Kondhalkar, urban planner (2nd from right) at the Zero Stone near GPO on Thursday.(Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Apr 20, 2018 02:24 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune

HT Spotlight: How tanker ‘mafia’ controlling flow of water in Pune

Feeding off an ever-growing city’s ever-growing need for water, and the PMC’s inability to meet the rising exigency, a water-tanker mafia now controls the flow of a free natural resource

While the PMC supplies water to tankers at a nominal cost of <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>300 per tanker, housing societies are normally charged between <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>700 to <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>1,200 per tanker, depending on how far they are located from the filling station(RAVINDRA JOSHI/HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Apr 19, 2018 05:11 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune

PMC water department chief on how political pressure nullified drive to install GPS system on water tankers

The PMC has been receiving a number of complaints from the citizens against the water tanker operators, notably related to overcharging and inflated costs. Excerpts from water supply department’s VG Kulkarni interview with Abhay Khairnar on a number of related issues.

It is mandatory for all water tanker operators to fill clean and filtered water from the prescribed 10 tanker filling stations only.(HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Apr 19, 2018 02:59 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

Mayor assures development at 11 merged villages with a priority on water and drainage systems

The mayor called the meeting on Thursday with former sarpanches and elected representatives of these villages at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj auditorium at the PMC headquarters.

Mayor Mukta Tilak leads the panel of gram panchayat and PMC officials taking questions from the representatives of 11 villages merged within PMC limits.(HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Apr 06, 2018 04:06 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune

Is PMC hinting at privatisation of medical facilities?

Ideally, it is the responsibility of the civic chief to ensure adequate staff is available to handle the equipment before procuring them.

Deputy mayor Dr Siddharth Dhende.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Mar 30, 2018 05:05 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

Inadequate staff, idle machines put PMC-run hospitals in ICU

Despite adequate medical infrastructure, facilities remain underutilised due to lack of manpower, say health officials.

A 20-year-old pregnant woman died due to the absence of a medical officer at the Rajiv Gandhi Hospital at Yerawada, run by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), last week.(Shankar Narayan/HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Mar 30, 2018 04:59 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

Plastic ban: NGO to help civic body set up plastic bottle recycling machines across Pune

PMC standing committee chairman Yogesh Mulik said that the panel had given its nod for the proposal that plans to erect such projects at 50 locations across the city.

The foundation will raise the funds under the corporate social responsibility (CSR) for the project.(Getty Images)

cities

Updated on Mar 29, 2018 03:30 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

PMRDA budget 2018-19: Metro line gets Rs 888 crore, Rs 1,235 crore for ring road

Budget contains provisions of Rs 152 crore for Mhalunge–Maan township; Rs 99 crore for construction of roads and bridges; Rs 25 crore for Wagholi area water supply; and Rs 50 crore for the fire brigade.

PMRDA metropolitan commissioner Kiran Gitte said, “As the nod had been got for the budget, it will help boost the Hinjwadi Shivajinagar Metro, ring road, water supply and solid waste management projects, and fire brigade services in the region.”(HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Mar 26, 2018 09:24 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune

BJP U-turn gives Pune ‘free’ parking for 6 months

The parking policy was to come up before the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) general body for final approval on Friday, but the BJP’s sudden change of plan removed the need for the same.

Corporators give toy cars to Pune mayor and commissioner during the PMC general body meeting as part of their protest against the proposed new parking policy, on Friday.(Pratham Gokhale/HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Mar 23, 2018 11:22 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

Maha-Metro, PMRDA to have different Metro ticket fares

Maha-Metro is executing the Metro corridors between Shivshrusti (Chandni chowk) and Ramwadi and Pimpri Chinchwad and Swargate. PMRDA is executing the Metro corridor between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar.

Earlier, the authorities were claiming that the ticket fare system for both Metro rails would be the same, but the PMRDA chief clarified that the fare of the corridor from Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar will be different from the other corridors.(HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Mar 23, 2018 02:58 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune

Evolution of a metropolitan city: Pune bosses on what the future holds

Pune municipal commissioner Kunal Kumar, district collector Saurabh Rao and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority chief executive officer Kiran Gitte on how the city’s development plans will now progress

(From left) Saurabh Rao, Kunal Kumar, and Kiran Gitte spoke about the current issues of Pune and the city's way ahead.(Sanket Wankhade/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Mar 23, 2018 03:23 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune

PMRDA chief on why town planning schemes are a win-win for everyone involved

Kiran Gitte, metropolitan commissioner of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) speaks about the salient features of the proposed Mhalunge town planning scheme. Excerpts from his interview with Abhay Khairnar.

Kiran Gitte, PMRDA commissioner.(HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Mar 22, 2018 03:24 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

Pune’s Mhalunge town planning scheme to play ‘mentor’ for 46 upcoming towns near ring road project

Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority has proposed to lay out 46 more town planning schemes with Mhalunge township as the ‘mentor’; the new towns will be built 500 metres from proposed ring road

The schemes have been proposed to make the 128-km long ring road project self-sustainable with planned development alongside, said PMRDA officials. The new schemes will be built 500 metres from the proposed ring road.(HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Mar 22, 2018 04:19 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune:

Pune to get its new ‘parking policy’ soon

The proposal includes a minimum parking fee for two-wheelers of Rs 2 per hour while minimum parking fee for four-wheelers is Rs10 per hour.

Vehicles parked in No Parking zone on Parbhat road Lane no.1 in Pune.(Sanket Wankhade/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Mar 21, 2018 04:09 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune:

Fadnavis instructs Pune BJP unit to hold meeting to discuss Bio Diversity Park issue

BJP leaders of the city claimed that the state government has not taken any final decision on the issue yet.

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had taken a decision in the year 2015 on BDP, with the state government issuing a notification saying that no construction will be allowed on the BDP land which mostly has green cover and is located at foothills.(HT Photo)

cities

Updated on Mar 15, 2018 03:20 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

Pune Mayor asks administration to recover cost for road digging from contractor

The municipal administration has issued orders to cancel the tender process for all the five roads.

Pune mayor Mukta Tilak said that the PMC would carry out tarring of the roads again and will recover the cost from the concerned contractor and officials.(HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Mar 13, 2018 09:15 PM IST

Hindustan Times,Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

Pune civic chief Kunal Kumar cancels cement-concrete road tenders

By considering the proposed ambitious 24x7 water supply project, the office of municipal commissioner had earlier issued a circular to road department and ward offices stating that roads less than 12 metres wide would not be concreted for three years.

The civic chief said that notices have been sent to the ward officers who had published tenders for road concretisation work.(HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Mar 12, 2018 10:34 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune

Pune municipal commissioner Kunal Kumar transferred; to join central government

Pune municipal commissioner Kunal Kumar will now join central government as the joint secretary of ministry of housing and urban affairs

After Srikar Pardeshi, Kunal Kumar is the second IAS officer from Pune to be moved to thee centre to man Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet smart city project.(HT FILE PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Mar 08, 2018 01:04 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune

Central government approves Shivajinagar-Hinjewadi Metro corridor on PPP basis

State chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is being seen as the driving force behind the clearance for this Metro line happening on the fast track.

Pune’s Metro line 3 between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar is 23.3 km in length and is expected to cost Rs.8,313 crore.(HT File Photo)

cities

Updated on Mar 09, 2018 03:23 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

Mula-Mutha reboot: 44 km of green riverbank free of any real estate in Pune

Speaking to media on Monday, Kumar detailed plans for the Mula-Mutha from the draft proposal citing 44 km as the length of the river front that will be developed, as against only 12 km that was developed for the Sabarmati project.

Current state of bridges and construction across Mula-Mutha(HT FILE PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Mar 06, 2018 02:57 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

NGOs and prominent citizens stand against government and PMC for anti-enviornment decisions, launch campaign

Residents, NGO’s unite and take to save city’s greenery

(From left to right) Anita Bennjer, Arun Firodia, Suresh Pingale, Anu Aga and Vandana Chavan at save Pune movement press conferance.(RAVINDRA JOSHI/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Mar 03, 2018 03:10 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

PMC budget: Now, rainwater harvesting subsidy for housing societies

While the civic body already offers a property tax discount for societies undertaking rainwater harvesting, it is for the first time that the PMC has introduced a subsidy for the scheme, according to tanding committee chief Murlidhar Mohol.

One of the highlights of the budget was that the PMC administration did not propose any tax hikes this year and also declared a subsidy for housing societies in the city undertaking rainwater harvesting.(HT REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Feb 28, 2018 02:34 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune

Survey on current Maratha representation in Maharashtra government jobs launched

As per general administration department instructions, the urban development department has asked all urban bodies including municipal corporations and councils, to submit their data to the government on an urgent basis.

The government’s move to collect information about the community has come against the backdrop of the protest march carried out by the Marathas demanding reservations.(HT Representative Photo)

cities

Updated on Feb 27, 2018 03:11 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

Ruling BJP not in favor of Pune municipal corporation’s parking policy in its current form

The municipal commissioner had prepared the parking policy for the city and had proposed an increase in parking charges for two and four-wheelers.

BJP’s city unit president Yogesh Gogawale said that BJP is of the view that the common man mainly uses two-wheelers and without making the public transport good, it would be wrong to levy heavy parking fees. Two-wheeler parking at Lake Town, Katraj in Pune on Wednesday.(Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

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Updated on Feb 21, 2018 08:25 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar, Pune

Mumbai loses financial capital status in Fadnavis’s tenure, says former CM Prithviraj Chavan

Recently, UK-based Oxford Economics report pointed out that Mumbai was no more the financial capital of the country and that the centre is shifting to Gurugram and Delhi, said Chavan.

Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.(HT File Photo)

cities

Updated on Feb 21, 2018 10:00 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

BJP just took one year to clear Metro project, says Pune BJP city unit president

Yogesh Gogawale claims that Bharatiya Janata Party has performed well in the first year of its leading Pune Municipal Corporation.

BJP Pune city unit president Yogesh Gogawale.(HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Feb 21, 2018 04:40 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Pune | ByAbhay Khairnar

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Abhay Khairnar

Farmer agitations, coupled with PMC’s inability to finish the ~300 crore water-supply project on time, had made the July 2017 deadline unachievable

Dhende, on Monday, paid a surprise visit to the nallah which runs from Dhanori to the Sathe biscuit factory, a distance of 10km. The regional ward officer and others were also present.

PMRDA commissioner said that the fund will be utilised for setting up water system infrastructure in these areas. Many villages around Pune which are not part of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations are struggling with drinking water shortage.

After receiving negative feedback from workers, the RPI decided to keep the CM away from its state-level convention despite having invited him earlier.

The work is being undertaken by Arvind Shinde, senior Congressman and leader of the opposition in PMC, as a part of his ward development work.

Feeding off an ever-growing city’s ever-growing need for water, and the PMC’s inability to meet the rising exigency, a water-tanker mafia now controls the flow of a free natural resource

The PMC has been receiving a number of complaints from the citizens against the water tanker operators, notably related to overcharging and inflated costs. Excerpts from water supply department’s VG Kulkarni interview with Abhay Khairnar on a number of related issues.

The mayor called the meeting on Thursday with former sarpanches and elected representatives of these villages at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj auditorium at the PMC headquarters.

Ideally, it is the responsibility of the civic chief to ensure adequate staff is available to handle the equipment before procuring them.

Despite adequate medical infrastructure, facilities remain underutilised due to lack of manpower, say health officials.

PMC standing committee chairman Yogesh Mulik said that the panel had given its nod for the proposal that plans to erect such projects at 50 locations across the city.

Budget contains provisions of Rs 152 crore for Mhalunge–Maan township; Rs 99 crore for construction of roads and bridges; Rs 25 crore for Wagholi area water supply; and Rs 50 crore for the fire brigade.

The parking policy was to come up before the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) general body for final approval on Friday, but the BJP’s sudden change of plan removed the need for the same.

Maha-Metro is executing the Metro corridors between Shivshrusti (Chandni chowk) and Ramwadi and Pimpri Chinchwad and Swargate. PMRDA is executing the Metro corridor between Hinjewadi and Shivajinagar.

Pune municipal commissioner Kunal Kumar, district collector Saurabh Rao and Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority chief executive officer Kiran Gitte on how the city’s development plans will now progress

Kiran Gitte, metropolitan commissioner of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) speaks about the salient features of the proposed Mhalunge town planning scheme. Excerpts from his interview with Abhay Khairnar.

Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority has proposed to lay out 46 more town planning schemes with Mhalunge township as the ‘mentor’; the new towns will be built 500 metres from proposed ring road

The proposal includes a minimum parking fee for two-wheelers of Rs 2 per hour while minimum parking fee for four-wheelers is Rs10 per hour.

BJP leaders of the city claimed that the state government has not taken any final decision on the issue yet.

The municipal administration has issued orders to cancel the tender process for all the five roads.

By considering the proposed ambitious 24x7 water supply project, the office of municipal commissioner had earlier issued a circular to road department and ward offices stating that roads less than 12 metres wide would not be concreted for three years.

Pune municipal commissioner Kunal Kumar will now join central government as the joint secretary of ministry of housing and urban affairs

State chief minister Devendra Fadnavis is being seen as the driving force behind the clearance for this Metro line happening on the fast track.

Speaking to media on Monday, Kumar detailed plans for the Mula-Mutha from the draft proposal citing 44 km as the length of the river front that will be developed, as against only 12 km that was developed for the Sabarmati project.

Residents, NGO’s unite and take to save city’s greenery

While the civic body already offers a property tax discount for societies undertaking rainwater harvesting, it is for the first time that the PMC has introduced a subsidy for the scheme, according to tanding committee chief Murlidhar Mohol.

As per general administration department instructions, the urban development department has asked all urban bodies including municipal corporations and councils, to submit their data to the government on an urgent basis.

The municipal commissioner had prepared the parking policy for the city and had proposed an increase in parking charges for two and four-wheelers.

Recently, UK-based Oxford Economics report pointed out that Mumbai was no more the financial capital of the country and that the centre is shifting to Gurugram and Delhi, said Chavan.

Yogesh Gogawale claims that Bharatiya Janata Party has performed well in the first year of its leading Pune Municipal Corporation.

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