Every weekend, I earn my down time in Pune. After working 14 hours during weekdays, braving the maddening traffic and Mumbai, I return back to my city that I call home to grab siesta time, hang with my folks and catch up on all the gupshup. Most of my pals wonder how we do the weekly drive – and I have begun to realise – it’s the sheer sight of watching the badam tree swaying in my big balcony that makes the drive worth it! And like my husband rounds it off: “We earn in Bombay, spend in Pune!”
Also perhaps it’s being pampered with some amazing food made at home and the joy of hanging with friends and fam that makes it all worth it. Last week, my cook served up extra dollops of ghee along with many thanks. He tells me, while steaming my weekend menu of daal-baati-churma, “Didi, main pehle ek ghanta line main lagarahta tha woh tax pay karne ke liye! (Didi, earlier, I would be standing for an hour in line to pay property tax). Now I don’t have to do anything!”
The man who truly deserves his thanks is the Pune Municipal Commissioner Kunal Kumar (http://www.punecorporation.org/pmchonors.aspx?pagefor=coms). The outspoken, techno-savvy and dapper commissioner, who can also be reached on Twitter (https://twitter.com/kunalkumarpmc), has taken up on himself to ensure Pune stays in the top 100 smart cities in the country. And ever since I have spent hours in teaching my mother the joys of online banking and mobile wallets, my mom is thrilled to pay everything within a few clicks. And the Pune property tax is one of them.
Clearly, Kunal Kumar has his vote and of course my mom’s too! Going by what Economic Times reports (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/municipal-commissioner-of-punekunal-kumar-wants-to-announce-open-data-policies-like-in-london-singapore/articleshow/52496610.cms) , Kunal Kumar is using exactly the right words. Technology, data and ease of life – much like Mr Modi is at the Centre.
He’s also visible, communicates and wants to ensure Pune is on the Smart City map. Which is why he’s been welcoming Saurabh Shah, the CEO of Mobitrash (http://www.mobitrash.in/) to run trucks that help Pune city deal with its wet garbage issue. The trucks now roaming around the city collecting wet garbage and converting it into manure in 20 minutes which can be used by the society.
And it’s obvious – it’s working with the PMC’s policies. Deal with wet waste and get 5% discount on property tax (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Societies-reap-benefits-from-treating-waste-in-backyards/articleshow/51186428.cms). Generate solar power and get rebate. Bring on rain water harvesting and get 5% discount on property tax. Clearly a way of using the e-commerce discounting mantra to get citizens to participate in the helping the PMC take better care of the city. It’s a discussion in times of pre-monsoon showers and a scorching summer that’s gone by, that seems to make for an interesting debate off late at our dining table!
Talking about discussions, food can’t be too far. Two names seemed to have occupied most Puneites the last few weeks. It’s the Pork Belly at Brazilian restaurant Boteco which is making a must-go to for a Sunday night fam jam or a Friday night date night. The other one that’s buzzing is the Coriander Kitchen at the Conrad Hotel with a view to die for (PS: The guys who designed the beautiful JW Marriot in Mumbai have put this design together!) Manasi Pinge, a old hat at communications and managing the marketing of the newly minted Raheja property, seems to have pulled off buzz into the hotel without paying for a launch party. “We had 18 events back-to-back and that’s just made everybody talk about the Conrad!” What I loved about it – It’s walking distance from home!
My other picks for the week:
Super Throwback: How can you miss the dulcet tones of Puneri Sanjeev Abhyankar singing Mat Kar Moh (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKqmwLqLuQE) in Season 3 of Coke Studio? Haven’t seen it, book mark it instantly and watch now!
Food to die for: Chargrilled Cauliflower with Jowar from the new revised menu at Le Plaisir on Prabhat Road. (Use Swiggy (https://www.swiggy.com/pune/) to order in, if heading to Deccan Gymkhana is too tiring giving the Pune traffic)
Charity run for the week: Order a bottle of MoGo (https://www.facebook.com/dancingwithtigers/) made with love by the batch of Dancing with Tigers. Joey from the team earnestly says, “The idea is to raise money for sports equipment for a PMC school. We want children to take sports as seriously as academics because we believe that it is equally important.” Get your bottle of Pudina concentrate… mine is coming through this week.
E-Comm Must: Haven’t heard of Coppre (https://coppre.in/) – I first discovered them through Arti Kirloskar’s FB post and have been smitten by their range of Pune Kansa! Grab it and grab some special cleaning powder to make your tamba shine too!
My fall in love again with Pune moment: I discover how competition can exist side by side?! Kinderland (a super trove retail store for all things kids) points to a decrepit store in front when we can’t get wings for a birthday dress for my niece. Like they say – this can happen only in Pune!
Nidhi Taparia has a day job as a senior executive working with a leading transnational. A weekend Puniete, Nidhi left the city 16 years ago to fall in love with Mumbai – but Pune still is her first crush. Diary of a Weekend Puneite will appear every Saturday. The views expressed here are personal
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