PIC hosted a first of its kind panel discussion on 14th February 2017, just before the PMC Civic Body Election 2017. Vice president of PIC, Dr. Vijay Kelkar chaired this panel discussion. Ms. Kishori Gadre of Janwani & Dr. Deepak Shikarpur facilitated the panel discussion.
Leaders of five main political parties participated in this panel discussion- Adv. Vandana Chavan of NCP, Mr. Abhay Chhajed of INC, Mr. Yogesh Gogawale of BJP, Mr. Shyam Deshpande of Shiv Sena & Mr. Hemant Sambhus of MNS.
While talking about the challenges faced due to rapid urbanisation, Adv. Vandana Chavan, MP, Rajya Sabha, highlighted the need for dedicated ‘Municipal Governance Cadres’ as also the need for capacity building. Equally important, she believed, was sustainability over smartness.
BJP city president, Mr. Yogesh Gogawale talked about the need for a greater coordination among all decision-makers and stakeholders for better governance. He also stressed on the importance of people’s support and participation for better governance.
Agreeing with him, Mr. Abhay Chhajed of INC, mentioned that issues like road connectivity, metro projects, sufficient water supply, waste segregation, correct use of amenity spaces, pollution, etc should be given priority in administration and planning. Water and waste management were highlighted as priority areas for the INC.
Shiv Sena leader Mr. Shyam Deshpande put forth the idea of having a ‘Pune City Development Code’ for faster permissions & implementation of projects. He assured the audience that if elected, his government would provide better public transport by purchasing 1000 buses for PMPML. The need for Special Purpose Vehicles (SPV) for slum rehabilitation projects was also highlighted.
MNS leader Mr. Hemant Sambhus stated that they have a blueprint ready to develop the city in a holistic way, so as to avoid problems during implementation
