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‘Persons with disabilities had to be lifted to stage’: PMC Commissioner directs to install ramps at all civic buildings

Naval Kishore Ram, who took charge as PMC Commissioner on May 31, urged private institutions and communities to be disabled-friendly, seeing it as a societal responsibility.

2 min readPuneSep 17, 2025 02:26 PM IST

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Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had no ramps when he joined the civic body and persons with disabilities had to be lifted onto the stage, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said.

Auditoriums under the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had no ramps when he joined the civic body and persons with disabilities had to be lifted onto the stage, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said Tuesday, adding that he has directed to install ramps in the buildings within six months.

Ram was speaking at the inauguration of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative organised by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), in collaboration with ALIMCO, at the Sir Parashurambhau College Ground.

“When I joined, I saw that the auditoriums…did not have ramps. Even to give an award to a person with disability, they had to be lifted and carried up onto the stage. Watching that made me very sad. This is why I have ordered that all properties owned by the corporation have to be fitted with ramps in the next six months.” The PMC owns 15 such auditoriums across the city.

Ram, who took charge as PMC Commissioner on May 31 this year, added, “I want to give a message: there are various government facilities, but private institutions and communities should be disabled-friendly. This is a societal responsibility.”

“We all have heard about Einstein, who was the world’s greatest scientist. But after Einstein, if there is a great scientist, it is Stephen Hawking. We can say that he was 100 per cent disabled, but there was no one as smart as him. I feel this shows how all of us are similar and there is not much difference. What is required is to create an obstacle-free environment for persons with disabilities,” he said.

As part of the CSR initiative, assistive aids and devices were distributed to 1,029 disabled beneficiaries, identified through assessment camps conducted by the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO). A total of 1,717 aids and devices were handed over with a CSR outlay of Rs 1.62 crore.

The AAI said this effort reflects its commitment to social inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities. Pune MP and Union minister Murlidhar Mohol, former Union minister Prakash Javadekar, and Pune Airport Director Santosh Dhoke were also present at the event.

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

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