THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF

FRIENDS  OF  THE  TREES

A fellowship of tree-lovers to create & foster a tree sense in India

(Registered under the Societies Reg. Act. 1860 & Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950)

203 VINSPA, 6 BOAT CLUB ROAD, PUNE 411 001. PHONE: 26136794

CHAPTERS: Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kottayam and Trivandram

BRANCHES: Amravati, Quilon, Rajkot, Ahmednagar, Kalyan (M.S.) Jodhpur and Pune

25.4.2006

To

1)     The Commissioner, Dr. Nitin Kareer, Pune Municipal Corporation.

2)     The Divisional Commissioner, Pune District.

3) The Chief Minister Maharashtra, Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh.

4)     The Chief Secretary, Maharashtra.

5)     The Finance Minister, India.

Dear Sir,

1)     The Pune Tree Authority committee should comprise of 15 corporators, and 15 members of N.G.Os who have adequate knowledge of this subject, but this is not the case at present.

2)     In Pune, the PMC has made the Okayama Japanese style garden spending approximately Rs.4 crores, after removing the already existing full grown indigenous trees in that area, causing more damage to the ecology and environment and bird life.

3)     Now it has come to our notice that the Pune Tree Authority members are planning a foreign trip to Japan for all its members on the pretext of a study tour.  However, it appears through the P.T.A. Resolution No.21 dated 10.2.2006 (copy attached) that this is more a pleasure trip, as an alternative to Jammu & Kashmir has been suggested!

4)     Any foreign trip of Government Officials is supposed to be sanctioned by the Foreign Minister, Home Minister, Finance Minister and the Chief Minister of the State. (See attached letter dated 29.8.1998 from the Chief Secretary, Maharashtra, Mr. Nand Lal).

5)     In Times of India dated 20.1.2006, (attached article), it is stated that the Ministry of Finance has clamped a ban on purchase of new vehicles and foreign travel for study tours, seminars and workshops.

6)     A trip to Japan or Jammu and Kashmir does not enlighten the P.T.A. in anyway whatsoever, as the two locations are in totally different climatic and vegetative zones from Pune.

7)     There is enough study material in books, and on the World Wide Web, which can be accessed via the Internet, if the P.T.A. members are really interested in expanding their knowledge.

8)     The Osho Nala Park in Koregaon Park, Pune, is a prime example of how a dirty Nallahs has been transformed into a garden paradise using minimum water with the use of sprinklers.

9)     The Osho Resort itself has 2000 trees, which have been planted by visiting foreigners, whereas the Pune Tree Authority has been giving blanket permissions for cutting thousands of trees in Pune.

10)The money saved from this foreign trip of the P.T.A. could be better utilized for transplanting trees and buying more water tankers for Pune, which currently has only 9 for watering all the roadside trees of the entire city.

Hence in view of all the above reasons, we would request that such pleasure “study tours” are not allowed in the present case, as well as in the future, as the public has not benefited from them in any manner whatsoever.

Thanking you,

Yours faithfully,

Mrs. F. Saran.  Hon. Secretary (F.O.T. Pune Branch).

C.C. to Head office F.O.T. Mumbai.