The Maharashtra State Electricity Board, With the board embarking on an ambitious project worth Rs. 98.7 crore - `System Improvement and Renovation Project' - in a bid to wipe out power failures and breakdowns. The city has 7.5 lakh consumers and the number is expected to rise by 10 per cent every year.

The Pune Municipal Transport, As the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to purchase 117 buses for the cash-strapped PMT. The PMC has already deposited Rs. 10 crore with the bank in this regard. En route to better services?

Hawkers, As the PMC has decided to undertake joint surveys with four hawker unions to find a suitable place for them. After the PMC had decided to cancel the licences of the hawkers and evict them from their present hawking zones, the latter had been up in arms.

Down
Aspiring Teachers, With the National Council Of Teachers Education (NCTE) refusing to grant permission to the B.Ed course being conducted by universities in the state. As a result, 350 seats for the highly popular and successful course conducted by the University of Pune were shut down.

Newborn Babies, As they continued to be dumped in various garbage dumps in the city. Two babies were found in the area that comes under the jurisdiction of the Chatuhshrungi Police Station (Pandavnagar and Baner Road). Fortunately for the kids, alert passersby picked them up and admitted them to the Sassoon General Hospital, thus saving their lives.

Pollution Check, As 11 Pollution Under Control centres were issued show cause notices for irregularities that included miscalibration, expiry of authorisation and non-renewal of licence. Keeping them in check.