Pune: In light of frequent fire incidents across Pune city, Municipal Commissioner Navalkishore Ram has directed the Fire Department to conduct fire audits of municipal, government, and private hospitals. He emphasized that major city projects will be expedited and that resolving citizens’ concerns will be a top priority.
After assuming charge as the new Commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), Ram held review meetings with various departmental heads on Monday. Later, while interacting with the media, he addressed key urban challenges and outlined his focus areas moving forward.
Ram noted that the city often faces fire hazards due to government apathy and neglected fire prevention systems. In many cases, such safety mechanisms are either poorly maintained or entirely absent. To address this critical issue, he instructed that fire safety audits must be conducted across all hospital facilities, whether public or private.
The Commissioner highlighted the need to speed up major ongoing projects, such as the riverfront development project, JICA-funded infrastructure works, and metro rail construction. Efforts will also be directed toward road widening projects and the installation of water meters under the equitable water supply scheme.
Ram also stressed the importance of maintaining cleanliness in the city, addressing sanitation workers’ issues, and resolving obstacles in setting up new waste processing plants.
Acknowledging the various challenges faced by PMC’s Health Department, Ram reiterated that attention will be given to improving the functioning of municipal hospitals, in addition to state-run and private facilities. Fire audits of all such institutions will be prioritized to ensure public safety.
With PMC functioning without corporators for the last four and a half years, citizens often struggle to get their local issues resolved. Former Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale had set a precedent by allowing citizens direct access to his office to address grievances.
Following in his footsteps, Navalkishore Ram announced that he will dedicate one hour each day to meet with citizens personally, hear their concerns, and ensure timely resolution through appropriate departments.
