Prof. Vikas Mathkari

PUNE: BJP leader Vikas Mathkari said on Saturday that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) should expedite its process of mobilising resources like
Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) and paid Floor Space Index (FSI) to overcome the financial crisis. Mathkari said, “The PMC has fixed deposits of Rs 603 crore in various banks. The deposits of Rs 555 crore are refundable, and the civic body has to return the same to various contractors after completion of work. This means that the PMC is left with only deposits of Rs 48 crore.” “The civic body is taking loans to complete many developmental works. Also, cash compensation is being offered to those whose land has been acquired for development. To avoid further pressure on civic coffers, the administration should remove hurdles in issuing TDRs and also the process of paid FSI should be initiated,” he added. Mathkari also presented a report by PMC’s chief accountant explaining the revenue and expenditure side of the budget from April to November. While the civic body was expected to utilise Rs 830.24 crore on capital works till November 15, actual expenditure is Rs 586.14 crore which is only 44.12 per cent against the expected 62.50 per cent.

Pune, November 1 Welcomming the State Government approval to the new development control (DC) rules for the 23 merged villages of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Leader of Opposition Vikas Mathkari on Wednesday demanded that the government empower the PMC to implement the new rules in the eight kilometer periphery outside its jurisdiction for the planned development of the region adjoining the municipal corporation.

“The State Government merged the 23 villages in the PMC jurisdiction in 1997 while the proposal was passed by PMC in 1978. However, the development process was approved after 29 years,” Mathkari told reporters. The new rules, eco-friendly and first of its kind in the country, will help in the planned development of the 23 villages, he said.

However, to avoid the repeat of the unplanned development that took place in the 23 villages in the periphery of PMC jurisdiction, the state government should empower the PMC to implement the new DC rules in the eight kilometer periphery, Mathkari said.
BJP corporator Ujjwal Keskar pointed out that the government decision to approve new DC rules does not hold significance as the Development Plan for the merged villages is yet to receive government nod.

PUNE, Oct 16: The Upekshit Unnati Pratishthan, a trust formed by youths led by corporator Vikas Mathkari, will begin the Diwali celebrations in a novel manner. Hundred of its volunteers will light 10,000 lamps at the War Memorial at 5 a.m. on Narak Chaturdashi on October 19.
“It is because of the sacrifice of the dedicated men that we are celebrating Diwali,” said Mathkari. “We, therefore, will pay our respects to the martyrs and then start the festival celebrations”.
Narak Chaturdashi commemorates the conquest of the evil by the good. Hence the lighting of the lamps.
The organisers will have no VVIP chief guest. They request the Puneites, who have great respect for the guardians of our freedom, to attend the unique ceremony and light a lamp.
“This is the first national war memorial in the country carrying the names of the martyrs,” says Mathkari. No longer is the famous couplet in Marathi, Naahi chira naahi panati (There is neither a brick nor a lamp in memory of the departed soldier) valid, at least for Maharashtra. Names are already engraved on marble here. And now, we will light the lamps”.
For Mathkari and associates, a war memorial is a shrine. They will play shehnai on the occasion. Their perception of the memorial is positive and sentimental. They regard it as a temple (not a cemetery). “After all, you call them amar jawan. They are not dead for us. They are the living source of inspiration,” said one of them. “An amar jawan is an immortal jawan,” says Mathkari. “He is not dead. He is very much there. And we want to pay respect to him by playing soulful music, not mourning tunes.” Those wishing to participate may assemble at the memorial at Morwada Junction — the junction of Mahadji Shinde Road, Ghorpadi Road and Maneckji Mehta Road in Pune Cantonment near Rajendra Sinhaji Institute (little to the south of the new circuit house and north of Empress Gardens.) by 5 a.m. on Monday, October 19.

PUNE: The civic standing committee meeting on Tuesday postponed the decision on the contentious move to dereserve a prime plot of land in Bibvewadi,
reserved for the Ring Railway project, following a vehement protest by the opposition by the corporators. BJP corporators Vikas Mathkari and Ujwal Keskar challenged the administration’s proposal to de-reserve the plot arguing that the administration can utilise the plots set aside for the Ring Railway project for a “ring road” project! The TOI had on Tuesday published a report pointing out that the ambitious ring railway project, prepared by the Pune Municipal Corporation and railway authorities in 1987 to link the suburban areas with each other by a local train, is likely to be scrapped. Municipal Commissioner Sanjay Kumar had tabled a proposal seeking the approval of the standing committee to de-reserve a 7000 square meter plot in Bibvewadi, which was set aside for the ring railway project in the 1987 Development Plan of Pune. The commissioner had justified the move to delete the reservation arguing that the land owners, M/s C V shah and M/s A V Bhat had given a purchase notice to the PMC asking it to acquire the land by paying them compensation. Also, the railway authorities have stated that they have no immediate plans to undertake the Ring railway project. Speaking to reporters, Keskar and Mathkari pointed out that around three lakh square meters of land in the city has been reserved in the DP for the Ring railway project. “ If this proposal is cleared then all other land owners will apply to the PMC to get their reserved lands freed,” they said. They have challenged the administration’s move to consider the purchase notice of one plot owner in isolation. The administration should have table a proposal before the general body to take a policy decision regarding the entire Ring Railway project. Also, as the project is mentioned in the DP, the PMC administration should call suggestions and objections from citizens before scrapping the project and releasing the reserved land to the owners, they have argued. Acting on the demand of the two corporators, the standing committee has asked the administration to table a report on the present status of this three lakh square meters of land which is under reservation and can the PMC acquire the same. “ If it is not feasible to execute the Ring railway project the administration should explore the possibility of a ring road project instead,” Mathkari and Keskar have demanded. Meanwhile, the standing committee meeting on Tuesday sanctioned Rs 50 lakh, to be paid as fees to the Konkan Railway Corporation (KRC), for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for introducing sky-bus system in Pune city.

November 27, 2007 at 8:01 am indianexpress: With the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress engaging in argument with Nationalist Congress Party and Shiv Sena, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) general body on Monday witnessed pandemonium on the proposal to allot Rs 10 crore every year to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) for the payment of construction of various flyovers constructed in its jurisdiction.
The proposal was passed with 57 votes in favour against the 39 votes of opposition on the condition that the state corporation will start new proposed development work.
Opposing the civic administration’s proposal, leader of opposition Vikas Mathkari said it was wrong to pay the MSRDC from the PMC coffers when the State Government has failed to pay PMC back the 10 per cent of vehicle tax collected from the city as per rules.
“To pay the MSRDC for the fly over construction is injustice on Puneites,” Mathkari said urging the general body to reconsider the proposal. He also said the proposal itself was illegal as the standing committee is yet to reconsider the proposal as demanded by BJP corporator Ujjwal Keskar.
The Shiv Sena-BJP alliance, while in power, had proposed to construct the flyovers in the city on build-operate- transfer basis with no burden on the PMC, Mathkari said adding, “The ruling Congress-NCP alliance in the state should not take money from PMC for the road development projects carried out in the city.”