PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) Standing Committee has decided to waive off administrative charge of running pandals and arches of Ganesh mandals.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Corporator Hemant Rasane tabled the proposal in the committee meeting which was sanctioned on Wednesday.
Rasane said, “Ganesh mandals conduct the festival devotionally and without any commercial intention. They help needy people and are not a profitable organisation but work for social causes. So, the corporation should not charge money for running pandals and arches. The proposal has been passed in the committee. The administration should waive the charges as per the proposal.”
According to officials from Pune Municipal Corporation’s Sky and Sign Department and Anti-Encroachment Department, the civic body charges Rs 300 deposit from every mandal for construction of pandals and Rs 500 for a box gateway.
The department charges Rs 100 per feet for running pandals per day. The Pune Municipal Corporation permits maximum 150 feet of running pandals for one mandal.
RS 1.5 CRORE FOR CAT STERILISATION
The Standing Committee approved Rs 1.5 crore for sterilisation of stray cats on Wednesday. As per the State government guidelines, the PMC tabled the proposal to provide funds for cat sterilisation.
While speaking to Sakal Times, Assistant Medical Officer (Veterinary) at PMC Health Department Prakash Wagh said, “We demanded Rs 1.5 crore for cat sterilisation. Now, it has been approved. We will use the funds to set up four cat sterilisation centres in the city. As per the State government order and AWBI (Animal Welfare Board of India) advisory, every municipal corporation should control the cat population and reduce incidents of cruelty on them.”
Pune Municipal Corporation officials said they would have to first seek the cat owners or caretakers’ permission before carrying out sterilisation as cats are seen in housing societies, individual homes and bungalows.
As stated in the government order dated May 9, 2019, “Generally, a cat gives birth to four to five kittens every three months, thereby increasing their population immensely. There are many incidents of kittens dying miserably on roads, under bikes, cars and in gutters and drainage pipes. Hence, it’s imperative that cats are sterilised to curb their population and by extension, put an end to cruelty on them.”
