G-20 preparatory meets: PMC to beautify 60 chowks

The PMC commissioner has directed the civic body’s roads department to complete the task within two months

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) will beautify 60 important chowks ahead of the preparatory meetings for G-20 Global Summit scheduled to take place in the city and other selected cities across the country, including Mumbai and Aurangabad, next year.

Beautification planned at Katraj Chowk. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

The PMC commissioner has directed the civic body’s roads department to complete the task within two months.

The roads department had invited proposals based on corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding for the beautification of important chowks. Initially, it was decided to beautify roads but owing to its bad condition and poor infrastructure, the administration decided to go ahead with chowk beautification instead.

According to the roads department, a special meeting will be held to discuss the issue in detail. VG Kulkarni, head, PMC roads department, said, “As per the directions of the administration, we will beautify 60 chowks.”

The areas selected for beautification include Ahmednagar Road at Vishrantwadi-Vimannagar; Hadapsar-Wanowrie, Phursungi, Kondhwa, Khadi Machine, Baner, Satara Road, Warje, Dhayari, Katraj, Navale Bridge, Karve Road and Mohammawadi to Swargate. Civic officials said that around 25 organisations had expressed their desire to fund the beautification initiatives.

Of the 213 G-20 related meetings planned across the country, 13 will be held in Maharashtra at Mumbai, Pune and Aurangabad.

Chief secretary Manukumar Srivastava had conducted a meeting of state officials regarding beautification and upgradation of infrastructure last week. Around 200 representatives from 20 countries will be visiting the cultural, historical and tourist spaces in Pune.

The state government has briefed stakeholder government bodies that the visiting dignitaries must be given information and presentations on the cultural traditions of Maharashtra, besides the opportunities of investments in industries and tourism.