Former office-bearers of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have demanded stricter monitoring and transparency in the implementation of civic works worth ₹150 crore allocated to ward offices across the city.
In a statement submitted to Standing Committee Chairman Shrinath Bhimale, former corporators Ujjwal Keskar, Suhas Kulkarni and Prashant Badhe have urged the civic administration to include officials from the Vigilance and Accounts departments in the tender process to ensure transparency and quality in the execution of works.
A total fund of ₹150 crore has been distributed among 15 regional ward offices under the jurisdiction of Regional Deputy Commissioners for various maintenance and repair works. Of this, ₹90 crore has been allocated for RMV works, road furniture and reinvestment works, while ₹60 crore has been earmarked for drainage cleaning, monsoon line cleaning, nala cleaning and nala cleaning in merged villages. The funds are now being implemented at the ward level.
Earlier, major road works were executed through the PMC head office. However, these works will now be carried out under the supervision of Circle Deputy Commissioners at the ward level. In this context, the former office bearers have demanded that one officer each from the Vigilance Department and the Auditor’s office be included in the tender committee. They have also suggested that the overall responsibility of monitoring the works be entrusted to an Additional Commissioner to ensure regular supervision.
Referring to past experiences, the leaders stated that complaints of alleged irregularities in the tender process, issuance of bills without actual execution of work and substandard quality have surfaced repeatedly. They pointed out that despite spending crores of rupees annually, potholes continue to remain on roads and drains get clogged during the monsoon, raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of civic spending.
The leaders further alleged that in the absence of elected public representatives over the last four years, arbitrary functioning at the officer and contractor level had increased. With new public representatives now in place, they emphasised the need to bring tighter control, accountability and transparency into the system.
They have appealed to the Standing Committee Chairman to take appropriate steps to ensure coordination and quality in the city’s development works, stressing that citizens’ money must be utilised responsibly in the spirit of “Our Pune, Our Area.”