As we step into a brand new year, MiD DAY speaks with the authorities in city governance, transport and other areas of public concern. They tell us their Hopes and plans to make Puneites’ lives better than what they were in the year gone by
In 2014, our focus will be on rolling out the bus rapid transit system (BRTS) in the city and maintain its quality. We want to improve the traffic scenario in Pimpri-Chinchwad. Also, we are planning to strengthen the PCMC financially, as the local body tax (LBT) regime is not very lucrative. We also want to increase the number of citizen facilitation centres (CFC) in the city.
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— Shrikar Pardeshi, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner
We plan to start a training programme for our police staff to enhance their work quality. Signal synchronisation is another point we are currently working on, with help from citizens. We want to ease up bottlenecks and snarls, identify accident-prone spots and work on preventive measures there. In all these, we will try to get more and more participation from citizens.
— Vishwas Pandhare, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic)
To show the way forward for users of the Right To Information (RTI) Act, I am planning to start a unique initiative in the city called ‘RTI Katta’. It will be a platform for all the citizens who want to learn, discuss and effectively apply the law for the betterment of our society. The concept is to have a meeting every week in public places like parks or city halls, where people can come and discuss their RTI queries and help each other with the applications. In future, we will be taking such meets in all over the state.
— Vijay Kumbhar, RTI Activist
We are planning to bring good governance in prisons, and improve the facilities accorded to inmates. We will be concentrating on the rehabilitation of prisoners, so they can start a better life after being released than the one they came here with. Another important thing, which I think every citizen should strive for is a more robust democracy, and for that, all of us need to vote.
— Meeran Borwankar, Additional Director General, Prisons
I expect more citizen participation in creating awareness about anti-terrorism activities. In 2013, many new laws were enacted, including the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act. In 2014, I hope that these laws will prove effective deterrents to curb crimes against children and women.
— Manoj Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police
Our New Year resolution is to implement all the policies which are still on paper. One important aim is to ensure safety for women. Whether it is the issue of seat reservation in the PMPML buses or sexual or other harassment, we would like to tackle these issues with vigour from this year. As part of our resolution, we would conduct a drive during January 1-10 at each bus depot across the city, where it would be mandatory for the depot manager to look into the problems faced by women commuters. To avoid molestation in crowds, we are brining 650 new buses by the end of January to thin the crowds in buses.
— Mayura Shindekar, CEO, PMPML
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