Pune beat

Bhatia climbs down from high horseMunicipal Commissioner Arun Bhatia on Thursday softened his stand and dashed off letters to the mayor a...

Bhatia climbs down from high horse
Municipal Commissioner Arun Bhatia on Thursday softened his stand and dashed off letters to the mayor and the standing committee chairman expressing willingness to discuss the reallocation of funds identified for various purposes in the Pune Municipal Corporation8217;s annual budget.

The crucial issue which has led to differences between the civic chief and the elected representatives, is slated for discussion in the standing committee meeting to be held on Friday.

The letters were delivered to Mayor Datta Gaikwad and standing committee chairman Arun Dhimdhime at their respective officesThursday afternoon. In an apparent bid to bury the growing differences between them over the issue, Bhatia8217; s letter sought a meeting 8220;on a date and time of your convenience8221; to discuss the issue.

Dhimdhime said he would take up the offer extended by Bhatia with the Mayor after the standing committee meeting scheduled on Friday before taking any decision.

Hospital hits back
The Joshi Hospital authorities on Thursday hit back at the Pune Municipal Corporation and the police, alleging that the action of lodging a criminal case against them was 8220;illegal.8221;

The hospital management council claimed at a press conference that the hospital alone had been discriminated against by 8220;continuous persecution, harassment and lodging of the police case while other hospitals have been allowed to go scot-free only be paying fines for unbroken disposable syringes.8221;

Secretary of the Maharashtra Medical Foundation which runs the hospital, Dr Lala Telang, claimed that the nosals and needles of disposable syringes were being cut immediately after use at the hospital for the last fiveyears.

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The hospital management had started crushing the barrels of syringes after receiving instructions from the PMC about disposal of waste and its staff had been instructed about proper disposal of the waste, he added.