MTDC, World Tourism Day & Tourists!

 

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“Not all those who wander are lost” … J.R.R. Tolkien.

Well, well, & who else than Tolkien can write such words with “Lord of The Ring” trilogy under his name where he takes us on an adventure trail by bunch of Hobbits! Its such stories which make people get away from their routine life & take even unknown paths as on such journeys one finds purpose of the life! And when I got a call from MTDC office to speak about my experiences with them on the occasion of World Tourism Day, above was the quote which came to my mind! Oh k, for those who are frequent travelers & those who doesn’t, since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day as international observances on September 27. This date was chosen as on that day in 1970, the Statutes of the UNWTO were adopted. The adoption of these Statutes is considered a milestone in global tourism. And MTDC is, our Maharashtra State’s tourism arm which operates as Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation formed in 1975 & is one of the better doing child (read as, public sector corporations) yet ignored by its parents i.e.  “Mai Baap” Govt!

On such background when I get a call from MTDC officials about a webinar on World Tourism Day, asking, can I share my experiences or say views about MTDC, it was a pleasant shock for me! Because very rarely some govt agency on its own reaches out to its consumers & asks them to share their views that too, in-front of their organization & online, where you can be seen or heard by anybody! May be that’s the change which was needed a long back & finally happening is what I thought as my association with MTDC goes right thirty years back when I got married & decided to go to place named Chikhladara in Melghat Forests in Eastern Maharashtra, I stayed at MTDC resort which got opened during that week only. On the edge of a cliff in the forest, outskirts of Chikhladara town, the resort had ten rooms (then) & I myself along with my wife were the only customers for three nights & the Manger of the resort & a cook! At that time nobody even knew (I mean barring some tourists in Pune & Mumbai) about MTDC because first thing is, travelling itself wasn’t much common, it was just for riches or people dedicated to wild life passion or something like that & second MTDC hasn’t aggressively marketed themselves to make people know what they are offering (which is a fact even today) to the tourists or say travelers! The scene has changed a lot as today travelling or say tourism is not just a buzz word but it has become a big revenue earning industry by itself & indeed last two years the lockdown has hit this industry most but it is bouncing back also fastest.

I started my sharing on the webinar by sharing my honeymoon experience at MTDC in 1991 & association there after till my last stay in Aug 21 at Tadoba resort which is now second home for me. In last thirty years I have visited many resorts of MTDC right from Ganpati Pule, a beach resort to Lonavala & even a remote place like Wani, a pilgrimage place in Vidarbha & indeed there is change in approach of the organization which is a welcome sign. When we say change in approach then it’s about the way the people of that organization meet (read as greet) their clients as marketing anybody can do aggressively by spending money but it’s the service which matters in the end! What MTDC needs to do, is the key question as if it really wants to ride the wave of tourism then on the surface touching few aspects such as sending their class 3 & 4 staffers to other State’s tourism resorts & study as well compare to sending higher rank team to even abroad, just to know how the clients are treated to every single details & implement the same at our end. As well finding new locations & making our presence seen is also an important aspect in service industry like tourism & here MTDC has an upper hand in compare to its private opponent as at many of the locations land is not that big issue because it’s a govt arm, the Tadoba resort is a classic example of it. The location where Tadoba MTDC resort is built, would have been impossible for any private players because the land was owned by forest dept i.e. govt only.

Well, in mere seven minutes it would have ben impossible to speak all issues so even after the webinar the subject was in my mind for long as not just because of MTDC but overall tourism status in our State & that’s why this sharing. As an MTDC team what is my biggest hurdle have any of us has asked this; well, it’s making people believe in the service of MTDC & make them feel proud or tell others with pride that they are going to spend the special moments at MTDC resorts! If you are able to achieve that then you have won is what I will say because when you ask any couple or group of friends or a family, they will proudly say they are going to stay at Leela Kempnski @ Goa or Taj Baghnban @ Pench or even Club Mahendra resort at Kasouli (Uttaranchal)  but have you ever heard someone proudly telling, that they are going to stay at MTDC resort for their vacations? Neither we know that someone has announced arranging a destination wedding or wedding anniversary at some MTDC resort while at same destinations such activities have been done at some private resort! Please take no offence, it’s not because MTDC is below par but MTDC itself has never tried or thought in that way to promote (or build) its brand or image. I think this is the blockage which has to be removed from the mindsets of the masses about MTDC & for that first it has to be removed from MTDC think tank’s mind!

Then, let’s focus on lesser known or not known destinations as well create destinations by setting a resort, this is what Uttarakhand or MP govt’s tourism depts' have done in past & successfully. Post Covid, many people have realized that there is much larger & better life offering experiences beyond the malls & multiplexes of the cities & MTDC has to be there to make people know such places & provide them a place there. As take example of Pune district itself, right from Ujani backwaters which attracts tourists from all over the country for flamingos, to the grass lands & forests & forts of Western Ghat, so many things are here in just one district but where is the proper place to eat, stay & freshen up? That’s why these spots are either getting neglected or private players are making money by offering their services & the scene is same all along the State.

Agreed the popular locations like Mahableshwar, Tadoba or Lonavala will be there but how many people will come to just Tadoba as it depends on numbers of safaris so what we can do to make more tourist come & stay at place like Tadoba, what we can offer to them other than just entry in the park, we need to make a brain storming session with every resort on these lines & act, right? We are in service industry that too which deals with fun, pleasure, leisure & entertainment & we need to create ways as well opportunities for them & offer allied services, that’s what MTDC should think of & not just offering shelter for the tourists! Dubai is wonderful example of it as it realized just shopping & duty free thing won’t work, so it started to develop everything which a tourist family will love so right from Bollywood Studio to Rain Forest Park to ICE Age Park to Beach Activities, they are trying everything to make tourists come to Dubai. Agreed its Dubai & has money but nobody spends money for free, they are going to get returns that’s why they are spending money. Take example of Tadoba or Pench forest, MTDC can arrange “Atdhwadi Bazar” festivals where locals come together from nearing villages & offer their goods for slae at one place, its can be wonderful activity other than just clicking tiger snaps & we can promote it! At the same time apart from Jungle Safari MTDC can take lead in getting tourist explore areas around outskirts of forests & for that involve locals as well forest dept by! Fortunately, our State’s every district or town has some uniqueness on the biodiversity front & especially in today’s world, biodiversity & nature are the “In thing” terminologies which we have in abundant, all we need is understand our tourism potential & act!

At the same time MTDC has to find out not just improve on existing resorts & setup but find out new ways & avenues of increasing revenue as well growth! Come out of age-old nature, wild life as well pilgrimage tourism, it will be there sure but think of commercial or trade tourism. For e.g., the way Pune & Mumbai people visits Dubai & Abu Dhabi, MTDC can make Pune & Mumbai shopping destinations for rural India & not just Maharashtra. Many residents from towns & cities in Central India have never visited Malls & Restaurants of Pune, leave apart Mumbai & MTDC can think of tie-up with Malls of Pune & use it for tourism! Same way education & medical tourism also can be major sources of revenue hereafter! For that, make a think tank at every district place dedicated to tourism, involve local traders, professionals in it & take monthly or biweekly meets, just with one agenda how we can make our town or city or district more tourism friendly & make more people to visit here. Give little bit recognition & honour (the way you have given me by calling me on the webinar) & then see what wonder these local people can do for MTDC. Think of forming MTDC Club (like Club Mahendra) & offer memberships to prominent as well regular customers at lower rates. Think of having three tyre resorts is Luxurious, Budget & for college students such as youth hostels, so you can cover entire segment of the tourists & advertise effectively about what you are as MTDC! As this will benefit not just MTDC but entire place as trave means trade & trade means prosperity! As well high time for MTDC to set up its own Institute of Hospitality management & allied services as with hundreds of experienced staffers it has a full set of teachers within their organization itself, use that knowledge wealth! 

As well tourism needs infrastructure at tourist destinations & in our country one has to demand for the same, right from good roads to civic facilities & on this front also MTDC has to take lead in raising voice about making such infra available to the locals! At the same time, dear “mai baap’ govt, all these activities needs money & only if we give backing of money to organizations like MTDC then the money we spent for farmers & poor people’s aid will also be saved as this spending will make thousands of farmers & poor people (rural) from demanding the aid in first place! The world is changing & exploring & the travel industry is on the high tide, does MTDC is ready to ride the wave, is the only question!

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Sanjay Deshpande

 Sanjeevani Dev.

Please view my sharing about real estate in Pune at You Tube link below..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xX7eopH5o&t=5s

 

Please do visit my blog links below to read about real estate & home buying! 

https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2021/09/choosing-right-home.html

http://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.com/

 

Creating Togetherness; team Sanjeevani Way (Click link below) 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/albums/72157627904681345

 

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

 

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Mr. PM's Birth Day & Return Gift for the Common Man !!

 

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“Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It's about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others' success, and then standing back and letting them shine” … Chris Hadfield

 

Chris Austin Hadfield, is a retired Canadian Space Agency astronaut, engineer, science communicator, singer, and former fighter pilot. The first Canadian to walk in space, Hadfield has flown two Space Shuttle missions and served as commander of the International Space Station. Interesting bio-data & that’s why is eligible to say the above words about leadership as a guy who can sing, walk in space & fly a fighter plane, surely knows about leadership! And on the birthday of one of our greatest leaders (well, no offence, I mean alive & in active politics) who is now Supreme Boss i.e., Prime Minister of largest democracy for straight seventh year now what better quote I could have chosen! So, Nardendra da, that way this is my third open letter to you, one each I wrote post both your election wins & none of them got a reply but that ok, as you must be getting thousands of such letters from millions of your followers (read as Army). And I don’t expect a reply for this letter also yet when you pray to the god & the god doesn't acknowledge back in a normal way that doesn’t mean the god doesn’t exist, right? It’s the faith, devotion which keeps a god alive in everyone’s mind & then you are very much living so maybe someday I will get a reply also! Ok, first of all a very Happy & Green Birth Day to you & I don’t ask or mention or say feel the need to mention putting years behind your age as on social media also nobody did that (shall I say, dared to did that) as you are ageless, except bit overgrown white beard, you are same the way first you climbed steps of Sansad Bhawan, seven years back. But somewhere the eyes are not same, they are not glittering with passion the way I remember them seven years back, the smile is there but the confidence or charm is bit less & the words oozing from that heart winning tongue are also same but they don’t reach to the hearts (to a few), I am sorry to say this & may get bashing from your Army (read as followers of which I am also a bit part though) yet that’s what I felt, so shared. And I don’t blame you Narendra da as first it’s age & second is to carry burden of 130 Crore people’s expectations is tougher than lifting a “Govrdan Parbat” & even Lord Krishna got frustrated & tiered in the end carrying people’s expectations; you & me are just humans, though you have displayed Super Human characteristics for all these years yet a human! It’s said that power in any form has its price to be paid & speaking power in the form of post or authority, you are used to carry it for nearly twenty years now i.e., including your thirteen years tenure as CM of Gujarat State, which itself is a big achievement for many & again you also are not exception for the rule of paying price for the power through the post you were & are holding.

One thing in these twenty years I must congratulate you for & that is maintaining health as most people with power pays for it by illness of the mental or physical health & it’s only your disciplined life style (which should be a role model for youngsters) has made you able to not to pay the price for the power by losing your health! But then somewhere the power & the responsibility burdens it gets along takes its toll & maybe that’s why the glitter in those sparkling eyes has been reduced & so is magic from the smile & metallic tinge or say power punch from the voice has not been that effective! Though one thing is sure, you still are the most popular face of the country even for your competitors, rivals, enemies or critics (whatever we call them) as everybody has to say something to you, good or bad & in today’s world being seen most or being discussed most is considered as first sign of the success!

Narendra da, coming back to your tenure as Super Boss of not just BJP (your party) but as a country, you are the hope of the common man & common man is an endangered species in this society now because here everybody is either somebody or somebody’s somebody or aspires to be somebody as everybody believes here than being common man has no future in this country! As when you took oath for the first time you said “ Na Khaunga, Na Khnae Dunga” (well it’s for bribe & not literally), then second time it was “Subke Saath, Subka Vikas” i.e., development or growth for all with all & indeed there has been many steps taken on these fronts yet missing link between both this caption is a system called “Ease of Doing Business” as that’s the answer for your drive against corruption & way to actual growth of the common man on every front! Narendra da, still every (most, I meant) young job aspiring boy or girl of this country (Barring your Gujrat State) aspires to join the govt service; ,may it be even of a Chaprasi i.e., Peon; have you ever thought, why? As this country (read as masses) doesn’t believes there is future for being a businessman here unless you have a family business running in already & private sector is never considered as better future option due to uncertainty & all the millions of kids can’t be accommodated in the govt jobs, right? Outcome is, social drift on the front of “Arakshan” i.e., reservation on the basis of caste or religion & trust me unless you remove this drift, your both tag lines are not going to work, is what many minds like mine are sure about! And those who are from IITs’ & IIMs’ (Blue Chip education institutes) they choose the path of Green Card, by joining multinationals & get settled in abroad though they remain yours as well India’s fan via Insta & FB, that’s all!

Another issue is about population control & again you were the only PM who has spoken about it openly & need for controlling the population because that’s something which will defeat not just yours but every party’s any slogan. Difference for common man about you & others (Political Faces) is, nobody minds anything about any political party's tagline or slogan as common man knows (by now) that post-election even that political party also doesn’t remember what was its slogan in the election. But the common man still feels that you are different & for that you have to do something about population control! As if on one side these 130 crores plus population is an opportunity for trade or business then the same number is the biggest enemy of each other, if those 130 crores heads are empty along with 260 crores hands those heads carry! You have the skill to make people listen to you & this is why even the blunder like banning Rs 1000 note was accepted. And yes, we really appreciate your efforts of Burning Candles & Banging Thalis to shoo away Corona (Indeed, there was no need was there for your snap on Covid Vaccine form, but ok, that too common man accepted) & keeping yourself extreme calm when the entire world was & is still falling apart by fighting war with this unseen enemy!

Lastly, don't worry about what one says about dictatorship (I know you don't care or worry) though this so-called democratic country despises the dictatorship openly but secretly admires one, only if the results are in the benefit of the common man, who is that smart for sure! Narendra da, millions of such common men seriously feel that you should succeed in making this country a wonderful place to live & prosper as you have (I am still not saying had) become a symbol of not just a successful Prime Minister but symbol of Hope! And these common men (and women) don’t necessarily live-in slums or 1 room kitchen flats but they live very much even in a millionaire’s home in South Bombay or in an IT Company’s board room also! Because it’s the uncertainty or fear of the future which makes all masses come together on one common platform, making them common man! Narendra da who better than you know that, this country lives on “Aasha” i.e., Hope & our tagline is “Shardhha aur Saboori’ i.e., Devotion & Patience as the common man believes with this tagline, his prayers (demands) even the unseen Gods listens & you are very much human & in-front of our eyes & we believe in you! Once again Happy Birth Day & our return gift is very simple, please protect our Hope & see how these very much mortal common men will make you immortal for ever in the history, whenever it will be written!

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Sanjay Deshpande

 Sanjeevani Dev.

 

Please view my sharing about real estate in Pune at You-Tube link below...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xX7eopH5o&t=5s

 

Please do visit my blog links below to read about real estate & home buying! 

https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2021/09/choosing-right-home.html

http://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.com/

 

Creating Togetherness; team Sanjeevani Way (Click link below) 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/albums/72157627904681345

 

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

 

www.punecorporation.orgTake your issues to Hon PM at link below…

https://secure.mygov.in/

Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com

MSEDCL, Great Power come with Great Loss!

 

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“With great power comes great responsibility” … Spider Man

“With great power comes a great electricity bill” … Common Man

“With great power comes great loss” … MSEB Employee

Three quotes to start the sharing, you must be wondering but if you read them then they are the version of one quote only just the way in Infinity War (well, it’s a superhero movie) Dr Strange (a superhero) tells to others there are more than a million version of the future, same way first quote is my most favorite rather my philosophy then other two are its versions! By the way the first two quotes have become famous (for a week, at the most) on social media are about hike MSEB i.e., short form for present MSEDCL which is distribution company owned by our Maharashtra State govt for electricity supply in the State while the third quote is my creation for the news I came across recent & which was about heavy losses MSEDCL has made (Rs 74,00 crore) over the years. Ok, for those who doesn’t know what is MSEDCL (fortunate, they are actually) for them, in our State electric power supply’s generation, transmission & distribution is done by companies which are State owned fully & the company which is backbone of it is MSEDCL i.e.  Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company earlier (popularly) known as MSEB i.e., Maharashtra State Electricity Board. Only difference in this “old stuff in new package” is, now the same stuff comes in three packages i.e., power generation, its transmission & distribution to the consumers, all of which earlier used to be done under one roof now it’s by three separate companies mentioned above respectively!

Now, one will ask what’s so big fuss & use of sharing this knowledge as what difference this all is going to make to us, does it going to reduce our electric bills or installation cost of our electric meters (for builders & commercial users), well, answer is a big “No”!  then many of you may ask why should we read further about this MSEDCL thing & losses it has made? The answer to this question is, because if you are an honest electricity consumer (read as paying bills on time without complaining) then these losses will mostly be recovered from your pockets, that’s why you should read about this whole thing named MSEDCL & may be by being aware & making others you can stop this overloading of the losses which you are not party to on our pocket! Now definitely most of you will read ahead with another question in mind, how I am party to the losses made by MSEDCL & how I can avoid it that by reading this sharing? Well, for that you will have to read further as knowledge is the key to most problems, seen & unseen, right? Ok, basic issue is, how MSEDCL made such huge losses when electricity is one of the most essential things in today’s world & its use getting increased every day, how such product can make loss to its makers, is a question even ten-year-old mind can get confronted with, after knowing the business of MSEDCL & I don’t blame ten-year kid as even grownups are wondering about it. Answer to any loss-making business’s problem is simple, either the product is faulty so no one is buying it, or the producer has invested the money from selling the product in some loss-making business or the product is being sold at the price below its making cost, no fourth thing can exist when it’s a business loss & I need not have to be Mukesh bhai or Warren bhai to tell this simple logic! In the case of MSEDCL first reason invalid as electricity is most sought-after product or say in demand but other two reasons are very much in place i.e., the money generated is being used on other fronts which are loss making or not profit oriented & the product i.e., power is sold below its production cost or say the product is being sold but money is not being recovered!

Now again you must be thinking what’s your relation with all this? Well, if you are a MSEDCL consumer means you get electricity from the company & it charges you for the power you consume & if it has got some ten customers along & they also use the electric power by MSEDCL but if only two clients out of the ten clients pay the bills in time & other eight doesn’t, what will happen? The company will go into loss & will shut off its production, right? But this is a State-owned company & its employees are getting salaries even if the company is in loss & production is also must be kept on then what will you do? Simple, recover the cost of eight non-paying customers from the two paying customers, it’s the way govt works in our country & now you will understand the importance of the sharing & your relation to the loss as the eight customers are never going to pay because they have been pardoned by the govt itself  & they are farmers, poor people (well, officially), co-operative sugar factories, Gram Panchayats, municipal corporations or Zillah Parishads, govt’s establishments & many such & this list is of legal consumers. Joke is all these consumers does charge their respective consumers again which are residents (barring farmers) of various gram panchayats & cities yet they don’t pay to MSEDCL. And then there are millions of consumers who are actually illegal, like slum dwellers & illegal connections which either are beyond reach of the MSEDCL or are untouchables (with some God Father backing) i.e., the company can’t do anything about it! Bigger joke is, the news said a detailed analysis/ presentation about the losses have been presented in front of entire “Mai Bapp” govt i.e., CM & Ministers & they indeed showed grave concern but, in the end, blamed MSEDCL officers only, for these losses! Wonderful, we give free electricity to agro-pumps means electricity used for watering farms, irrespective of the size & income of the farmer (and use he or she does) & to thousands of govt owned or controlled establishments but govt doesn’t pay MSEDCL for the same, yet blames MSEDCL only, for such losses! And then does this govt give food or such products where electricity has been given free, in subsidized rates to the consumers (read as you & me), again a big NO! Leaving MSEDECL no option to keep hiking rates of the honest consumers to survive!

And the outcome is, the average middle class city consumer in Pune with 2 bhk flat pays approx. Rs 1200 plus, per month bill for his or her 100 sft flat while the farmer (with due respect to farming) owning acres of land pays nothing for every use under the name of agro-pump connection! And the story is the same for slum dwellers which use illegal electricity or never pay the bills yet their connections never get cut! But in case you (common man, middle class) don’t pay one single bill for a month which may be even by mistake of MSEDCL & next month your electric meter is cut & on the top of it you have to pay fine along with numbers of visits to concerned office to get it reconnected is the fact!

If this is story for single domestic consumer then if you are builder or industry the whatever is your load demand there has been norms of getting electric supply for your load demand at affordable cost & yet as MSEDCL doesn’t have funds for infrastructure you have to pay for everything to get electricity to your door from the place where MSEDCL has supply point & it may be Kilometers away from your project or industry & this cost can be in Crores of Rupees but you are an honest customer & you are not having any Godfather behind you, so you have to pay it, this is how you are related to the losses of MSEDCL! Because as per MERC (Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Council) MSEDCL can’t say no to any electric supply demand & has to bare all this infrastructure costs for Transformer, Ring Main Units, HT & LT lines & other necessary equipment including labor costs but MSEDCL doesn’t have money for honest consumers & honest consumer’s project can’t wait till MSEDCL does all the infrastructure in place & the honest consumer can’t afford to make losses the way MSECL can as the honest consumer cant charge its some customers double or multiple times for his failure to make profit from other customers the way MSEDCL can, this is how you are related to the losses MSEDCL is making!

And these losses have not only made the life of genuine & honest consumers miserable but life of MSEDCL employees also worst as in city like Pune which generates nearly Rs 300 plus crore revenue, also gets starved for the funds required for routine maintenance of the infrastructure making power failures & curses of the consumer a ritual for the MSEDCL employees, which are working sincerely for the power supply to its consumers. This is why in the rainy season there is disruption in power supply in the city & MSEDCL staff have to work to keep power supply on by putting their lives in danger in monsoon!  And outcome of the losses is more power cuts in rural as no wonder if you call MSEDCL as a company then its job is to serve the good paying city consumers on priority so unpaid rural consumers get more power cuts though no one will accept it on record! And the problem with losses is MSEDCL needs more billing from paying consumers means they won’t promote use of Unconventional Energy such as Solar or Wind by paying city consumers, so there is no load reduction while calculation load demand as well the rebate getting process for electricity saved by Solar power is so tedious that the consumer gives up idea of setting alternate energy source & I don’t blame MSEDCL for this as in their place I would have also done the same. Because, which businessman will provide his good paying consumers address of another manufacturer of the same product at a lesser price, right?

Good news is, MSEDCL has accepted & started giving refund for the infrastructure work done by the developer or any consumer, of course there is, “*conditions apply” tag but it’s a big positive step to start & for real estate industry a big help which needs every single rupee’s support in present situation. And going with current status infrastructure for MSEDCL’s power supply was a big dent which used to vary for Rs 1 lakh & above per meter (flat or unit) taking the overall expense in Crores of Rupees for bigger projects & it’s great saving (hope so)! At the same time by paying service charges the developer or the consumer can ask MSEDCL to get the infrastructure works required for power supply of the project for which again the “*conditions apply” tag is there as it depends on fund flow with the company which in current scenario one can understand. And then there is another option where in case of emergency the consumer or the builder can get the entire work approved by paying just 1.3% supervision charges to MSEDCL & in this case the ownership of this set up remains with the consumer forever!

With due respect to all poor farmers & such category, I am not saying, don’t help them & indeed that’s job of the govt only, to support them by giving them free electric supply but all the honest consumers are also voters & citizens of this very State only & they also contribute in the revenue of the State only by their input in respective form, this also the govt must not forget while trying to burden us with other’s consumption of electricity! And why even the MSEDCL has to accept losses (read as along with its paying consumers) which are caused by the policies of the govt, is the question everybody must ask now! There are many good officers in MSEDCL & its allied companies & they have the ability to keep this ship on course even in turbulent seas. The problem is with the owner of the ship i.e., Mai Bapp govt! And problem is, with all the honest consumers of MSEDCL who pays their bills on time as high time they should ask why they are being burdened with all other non -paying consumer’s weight which the owner i.e., the govt only has thrown on them or else one day the ship will be sunk along with the crew & the passengers & all that will be left is endless sea of loss!

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Sanjay Deshpande,

 Sanjeevani Dev.

 

Please view my sharing about real estate in Pune at U-Tube link below…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xX7eopH5o&t=5s

 

Please do visit my blog links below to read about real estate & home buying! 

https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2021/01/post-lock-down-real-estate-home-buying.html

http://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.com/

 

Creating Togetherness; team Sanjeevani Way (Click link below) 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/albums/72157627904681345

For any of your complaints about city, log in at link below

www.punecorporation.org

Take your issues to Hon PM at link below…

https://secure.mygov.in/

Think Green, Think Life

www.sanjeevanideve.com

Choosing a Right Home!

 

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“You leave home to seek your fortune and, when you get it, you go home and share it with your family” … Anita Baker.

Anita Denise Baker is an American singer-songwriter. She is one of the most popular singers of soulful ballads during the height of the quiet storm period in the 1980s. No wonder, with such understanding about emotions like home & family, Anita’s song touched the hearts of millions! I deliberately used the term emotions for the words “Home & Family” respectively as home may be a concrete, brick, wood structure but then so is any structure, it’s the emotions attached to the structure which makes it a home. And any bunch of living species we can call it as a herd or a group or a bunch but it can’t be called a family unless animals (read as living objects) in that group or herd are attached to each other with their emotions! And that’s why a home is complete only if you have a family to live along in it, is my perception & that’s why while making a home or buying it, one must think from the aspect of the family which will be living in it! If you are wondering, what made me start my sharing with such a strong “gyan.com” dosage then the reason is a visit by one of my school friends with his son, who wanted to buy a home in Pune for himself & dialogue with both of them!

Whenever anybody asks me where I should buy a home, I have to be very balanced, as being a builder, if I say buy in my projects then I am a big fool as I must not forget that I am a professional first & then a trader (read as builder). My job is to guide the people (read as clients) to understand what is a right home for them & then let them decide whether my project is right for them. This is the base of sharing, because there is nothing such as good home or bad home, which people often ask me as there are no bad homes; a term named home can’t be ever bad, it just may not be right home for you! So, the first thing I want to share is whenever you are looking for a home then use the scale of right or wrong & not good or bad! Here many will be confused, what is the difference between good or bad home & right or wrong home? Well, for that you will have to analyze the home on the parameters & for that you should learn to look at the home from not just yours but from the entire family’s perspective towards that home!

To start with for any home, still the age-old main criteria is, location. I gave them example of I Phone, that if you buy a I Phone, it will give you same service or outcome on all front right from price to camera quality to the functions irrespective of location or city from where you buy, right? Means, whether you buy an I Phone in Mumbai or Raipur or Seoni (MP) or Solapur, its price will be nearly same & so will be the service that I Phone will give to you. But it’s not applicable for a building which we call a home as the building structure may be the same but depending upon where it has been built will decide whether it’s a right home for you or not. As construction cost of the building & specification you can keep same at any place in any city (nearly) but its utility to the residents will change as can the home will serve you same has it been built in some remote area of rural like Vidarbha or Marathwada or even in Dharavi slum of Mumbai in compare to developed location like Baner or Hadapsar or in posh areas of South Bombay or Prabhat road in Pune, of course no, is the answer. Does this mean the building is not good if it’s built at such odd locations, no, it’s not but it isn’t a right choice as utility of any building which we are looking as a home changes as per the location & so does its price, this aspect differentiates real estate from all other commodities significantly! Whenever you are searching for a home, see that you are at the right location where past, present & future infrastructure, your connectivity, surrounding & price are evenly balanced as then the home will serve you at its best!

Then comes the major part of home & a most neglected one & that is planning of a home & when I say planning, its two-fold i.e., internal & external planning. Internal planning includes interconnection of rooms, right dimensions of the room as well wasting minimum area in commuting with the home yet each room will have privacy at the same time natural light & ventilation, which is very important for a healthy home. The external planning consists of common passages & lobbies connecting to the flats at every flow & right from stair case trade (payara, tappa) height which is allowed 7” by law but must be below 6” for ease of climbing, so many things matter which you can’t change later. And post pandemic where the entire city has been locked within their complex, open spaces around the building as well top common terraces, matters a lot as we can use them for walking or open gym type uses. At the same time if you are having basements then the ramps as well parking areas should be well lit naturally which helps in saving your common electric bills. Do check for the parking ramps as well side margins because to take turn in your parking lot comfortably for any size of car, a minimum 14 ft margin is a must. Even the internal arrangements of the toilets matter where wet area (shoer area) is clearly segregated from dry area, making maintenance & use of the toilet easy. I have seen many clients asking for planning as per Vaastu Shastra (I don’t believe in it but I don’t disrespect it as it’s emotional aspect for many) but these clients neglect the basic aspects of the planning which are responsible for making your life in any home comfortable, which is major factor in deciding a right home!

Of-late many people ask about specifications of the home, indeed with thousands of options available for materials it’s a difficult task for the builder as well architect to chose something which will be liked by all yet if asked to me, my first criteria in choosing materials such as plumbing fitting, electric switches, door fittings & many such, is durability! The home is supposed to stand with you for more than fifty years & all the hidden parts of this home which are responsible to assure the home stands in fit & healthy condition with you for this time span!  Right from hinges used for fixing the doors to fasteners for fixing the wash basin or commode, everything which your eyes won’t see matters more than what your eyes see. So, it's not just costly or fancy looking gadgets that make a right home but the durability & toughness of the materials used in making the home is what makes a home right one! As do mind, you can get your home decorated with whatever costly & good-looking exteriors but just the way our body is strong not by our skin or colour or clothes we wear but our physic & immunity, same way a right home depends on the strong & durable ingredients used for making it & for that you need to ask question to your builder & his team about specifications which matters most i.e., workmanship & process of constructions!

One most important aspect which many always neglect in finer detailing related to the home as there are many things which a fancy brochure of the project or even 3-D walk-way of a home won’t show you but your common sense as well exposure of the world you have, can find out such details! Right from having a safety door fixed in MS frame so nobody can cut the lock of the door to having two kondas to main doors so nobody can  lock you inside your home to having CC TV’s at every floor lobby to display of emergency & essential contact numbers on every floor lobby to marking on all water lines as well power lines so it comes handy at the time of maintenance to using all internal walls also of 6” thinks to avoid voices getting heard across the rooms, there are thousands of things where detailing matters in a right home! Even having clear 4 ft height parapet walls of your balconies, verandas or even to terrace or a safety railing at overhead water tank & a proper climbing ladder to inspect the top of the water tanks makes a big difference which nobody notices!  Do you know why Japanese car makers or European car makers are better than our Indian car makers, it’s just because the smallest of the detail is looked after in making a car & while you drive the driver realizes the importance of those details, same logic is applicable with a right home! Again, this one has to see by your own eyes & open mind but most clients see only the fancy furnished flat & Italian marble lobbies & choose a wrong home getting mesmerized with just presentation & that doesn’t mean presentation doesn’t matter, it does but do check what’s being presented to you while choosing a right home!

Then there is always the legality factor along with the people whom you will be dealing with & that also now you can confirm from social media or communicating with the existing clients of the builder & sharing their home buying experience with the said builder! As well, speak with the team of the builder not just sales or marketing but site team & judge their dedication for the job they are doing i.e., building your home as a right home is the outcome of the right approach of the entire team involved in making it!

And above are just a few aspects to select your right home, it’s not a full & final list as a home is an evolving thing though right & wrong never changes, if you are clear about deciding the norms! And when all of these above parameters are tick-marked then check the price as indeed that aspect you only have to decide, how much you can pay for a right home, right? So, go ahead, there always is a right home waiting for you, all you have to do is make a right definition of your right home!

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Sanjay Deshpande, team Sanjeevani

 

Please view my sharing about real estate in Pune at U-Tube link below...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4xX7eopH5o&t=5s

 

Please do visit my blog links below to read about real estate & home buying! 

https://visonoflife.blogspot.com/2021/01/post-lock-down-real-estate-home-buying.html

http://jivnachadrushtikon.blogspot.com/

 

Creating Togetherness; team Sanjeevani Way (Click link below) 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/65629150@N06/albums/72157627904681345

 

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www.punecorporation.org

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