This story is from September 14, 2019

Pune Cantonment Board to make five-year development plan

The general body of the Pune Cantonment Board resolved at its meeting on Friday to prepare a cantonment development plan with a long-term perspective for five years.
Pune Cantonment Board to make five-year development plan
The plan, as directed by the headquarters of the Southern Command of the Indian Army, would focus on maintenance of roads, sanitation, water harvesting, sewage lines, education, electricity supply and bio-toilets, among others.
PUNE: The general body of the Pune Cantonment Board resolved at its meeting on Friday to prepare a cantonment development plan with a long-term perspective for five years.
The plan, as directed by the headquarters of the Southern Command of the Indian Army, would focus on maintenance of roads, sanitation, water harvesting, sewage lines, education, electricity supply and bio-toilets, among others.

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PCB CEO Amit Kumar told TOI, “The objective behind the CDP (cantonment development plan) is to utilize budgetary funds in a judicious manner. We shall make it as per the parameters or subjects specified by the command.”
The general body (GB) also gave its approval to installation of seven cellphone towers by private mobile telephone service providers to overcome erratic mobile connectivity.
It resolved to explore public private partnership model for three key projects — construction of a commercial complex, a foot over-bridge on Shankarsheth Road and a multi-level parking complex. If the PPP model is found not feasible, the board will approach the central government for funds for executing these projects.

“The office of the Principal Directorate of Defence Estates Southern Command (PDDE), cited funds crunch while disapproving these projects. Hence, we have decided to explore the PPP model,” Kumar said.
A decision on the revision of property, conservancy and water taxes was deferred to the next general body meeting after the members resolved to refer these proposals to the PCB’s finance committee for an apt appraisal. “A final decision on them will be taken at the next GB meeting,” Kumar said.
The PCB had last revised these taxes on February 2, 1998. The board had sent a proposal in 2012 to the PDDE, recommending a revision of these taxes. The PDDE sat over it all these years and recently informed the board that the latter was competent to take a decision on these proposals.
In July, the Principal Director of Audit for Defence Services in Pune had raised objection over the board’s failure to revise the property tax rates in the past 21 years.
A senior army officer told TOI with reference to the CDP, “The command authorities have asked the board to prioritize its plans. The board can then use its limited income for them. This is for the first time the command has taken a decision to help the board deal with the funds crunch situation.”
The board has constituted a fresh committee under its vice-president Vikas Yadav to deal with the issue of chicken slaughtering at the Chhatrapati Shivaji market.
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