Pune civic body begins inspection of study centres

In the wake of the fire that broke out at one of the study centres in Navi Peth last week, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has begun inspection of all study centres/halls in Pune city to prevent further such accidents. PMC additional commissioner Prithviraj B P has also informed that if a study centre is located inside a residential society, it will be charged commercial tax hereon.
Students from across the state and country come to Pune to study in colleges and prepare for competitive exams. There are a large number of study centres/halls, colleges and bookstores at Sadashiv Peth and Navi Peth. Some of these centres/halls have been started by locals from inside residential premises.
Recently, a fire broke out at one of the study halls in Navi Peth, gutting the furniture, books and other material kept within. While firefighters brought the fire under control and fortunately, there were no casualties, questions have been raised over the safety of students in the city with the municipal administration taking serious note of the incident. It is against this backdrop that the PMC has begun the inspection during which building use, fire no-objection certificate (NOC), fire extinguisher and other facilities will be checked. Hereon, commercial tax will be levied on residential buildings if they are found to be used for commercial purposes.
Rajendra Bhosale, PMC commissioner, said, “In view of the safety of students, the municipal corporation has ordered a fire brigade to inspect these study centres/halls for fire safety. There are complaints from locals regarding the nuisance caused by the owners of these centres. By listening to both sides, a midway approach will be taken so that the studies of students are not disrupted.”