For the proposed ring road project, Pune Municipal Corporation would have to bear land acquisition cost to the tune of Rs 409 crore

PMC, PCMC and PWD :

The total land acquisition cost is estimated to be Rs 855.4 crore, which will be shared by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) and the Public Works Department of Government of Maharashtra (PWD).

PMC :

As per the details furnished to the standing committee, the 64.94 km of the 117.52-km proposed ring road either passes through the PMC jurisdiction or adjoining areas.

Land Acquisition Process :

"The entire land acquisition process will take time and a further delay in decision will also increase the expenses. Thus, the civic administration should be permitted to carry out the land acquisition work of its share at the earliest," Pravinsinh Pardeshi, Municipal commissioner, has said in the proposal.

Time :

Mr. Pardeshi, 'earliest' means when? Why don't you be specific? We are talking about 'land acquisition'! You know, how much panic these words create among my beloved leaders. Give them some time. Be specific and tell them when do you wish to start the land acquisition work. In 2010? After all, we are talking about the ring road for last 2/3 years!

BJP :

The ring road project was earlier surrounded by controversies with the BJP strongly criticizing it on the grounds that the state government should bear the expenses. The Shiv Sena and the Congress too had later opposed the project and had sought details.

Police commissioner A.N. Roy :

Citing examples of other Indian cities across which have benefited from ring roads, Roy said the ring road would divert heavy vehicles away from the city, and reduce accidents and congestion.

Roy recommended the urgent need for a Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA) to oversee the future development of the city.

He cited the example of the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA), which recently earmarked Rs 5,000 crore for urban public transport.

Roy, who was addressing a seminar on traffic management organized by the city police and the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA)

Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) :

The ring road project would be executed by the Public Works Department. It will be done on a build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis.

The Pune Municipal Corporation and the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation will facilitate the project only by undertaking the land acquisition process.

The money spent by the two corporations on acquiring land will be recovered from the agencies which get the contract to execute the road work. Thus the project will not be a burden on the civic exchequer. In August, Municipal Commissioner Pravinsinh Pardeshi gave this information while addressing a training workshop of the newly-elected corporators at Yeshwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (Yashada).

TOI:'Change in alignment in favor of the 14 planned townships' :

Times Of India published a report pointing out that the alignment of the ring road as recommended in the commissioner's proposal did not match with the one recommended by the surface transport ministry and that it excluded the easterly and westerly bypass links.

The report had also pointed out that the ring road proposal was likely to be rejected as the three main political parties in the PMC - BJP, Shiv Sena and the Congress - were opposed to the project, arguing that it was drafted in favour of the 14 townships planned in the villages along the ring road.

Ajit Pawar,guardian minister and nephew of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, strongly refuted the charges made by the opposition parties, arguing that the townships had already developed link and approach roads by spending Rs 12 crore.

Traffic Information :

The ring road will essentially benefit residents of Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad by diverting the through traffic. According to a 2004 survey of through traffic, as many as 20,000 out-bound vehicles pass via the internal roads in the city.

The survey has established that every year, there was an increase of 5 per cent in the number of out-bound vehicles passing through the city.

Today, the share of out-bound traffic on Pune's internal roads is a staggering 30 percent and 80 per cent of these out-bound vehicles are trucks, Mr. Pardesi said, stressing the need for the ring road.

CIRT pushes two-tier road system :

The Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT)had prepared a report, "Traffic and Economic Analysis of the Road Improvement Project in Pune Metropolitan Region", and had submitted to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC).

In it's report CIRT had suggested establishment of a two-tier system of ring and arterial roads to ease congestion, effect savings in terms of operational and time costs, and ensure safe and comfortable motoring.

Economic :

1. Economic Internal Rate of Returns (EIRR): The CIRT's R. Ramakrishna, Vaishali Gijre and A.V. Anand predict a economic internal rate of returns (eirr) as high as 42 per cent. The experts calculate savings of Rs 11.6 crore a mere three years after the new traffic management system is in place.

2. Foreign Exchange : There would be an estimated $ 20 million in foreign exchange savings annually on fuel costs alone.

3. Financial Viability : EIRR is used as a benchmark to assess whether or not investment proposals for an urban network of roads and flyovers are financially viable. It also calculates and includes benefits accruing from savings in vehicle operating costs and time.

4. Savings : According to Ms. Gijre the saving of travel time and fuel has to be calculated in the actual cost of the construction of the flyovers. "as per our estimation, the economic benefits to commuters from the flyover construction should come after three years of its completion. The first three years will only recover the construction cost," she says.

Anil Kumar Lakhina's "Magic Plan" of 2004 :

Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation’s (MSRDC) managing director Anil Kumar Lakhina had came out with a magic plan costing Rs 1000 crore that promises to "transform Pune" in the next three years. (in 2007!)

Pune Development Plan : In an interactive session with the members of the Pune chapter of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) on 'Pune Development Plan' Mr. Lakhina said:

MSRDC : will spend Rs 250 crore on building 14 flyovers, 10 railway over bridges and two river bridges besides completing the ring road around the city which will reduce the traffic volume.

PMC : will be required to spend Rs 750 crore on restructuring and widening roads, building missing links, encroachment removal, pedestrian facilities, subways, vehicle free areas, cycle bridges, synchronizing traffic signals, building truck terminals, bus depots, parking areas and acquiring 600 Euro II buses for public transport.

Speed : The project will have a quantum impact on traffic condition in Pune as out of the total 3.9 lakh PCUs entering/leaving Pune, about 1.8 lakh PCUs will not use PMC’s road infrastructure.

This will create 50 per cent additional road space which will improve the average travelling speed of Punekars by 100 per cent.

Lakhina pointed out that currently the average travelling speed in Pune was 8 km per hour.

Funding : Explaining how the required funds can be raised, Lakhina stated that contribution from PMC, toll and petrol/diesel cess would help. "We will have to think about modern financing methods like securitising PMC funds for 10 years"

Growth : Lakhina said "ultimately we have to compare the cost to the cost of doing nothing" particularly in view of the fact that Pune was slated to grow at 8 per cent annually.

Cost and Benefit Analysis :

Yes! Mr. Lakhina and Mr. Pardeshi, see by doing nothing we have contributed in the growth of other cities. In a way, we helped the nation to prosper. We may not have succeeded in the diverting the traffic but diverting the growth is not a small achievement! Jai Maharshtra! Jai Hind!!

pune real estate

Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) Public Works Department of Government of Maharashtra (PWD) land acquisition ring road land acquisition process Pravinsingh Pardeshi, Municipal Commissioner, Pune Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (MMRDA) BJP Shiv Sena Congress A.N. Roy, Police Commissioner Pune Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (PMRDA) Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) build, operate and transfer (BOT) Yeshwantrao Chavan Academy of Development Administration (Yashada) the surface transport ministry Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) traffic Traffic Information township link road approach road trucks The Central Institute of Road Transport (CIRT) Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) economic Economic Internal Rate of Returns (EIRR) Foreign Exchange Financial Viability Savings flyover construction commuter Anil Kumar Lakhina Pune Development Plan magic plan speed funding finance financing security securities growth cost and benefit analysis ravi karandeekar