Pune Municipal Corporation issues 500 tenders in just 15 days
Pune: PMC Commissioner declares assistant commissioner as Nodal Officer
Activists claim that the civic body issued large tenders before the February code of conduct, primarily to avoid budgetary allocation loss before the end of the 2023-24 financial year.Â
19 June 2024
Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) issued over 500 tenders since the Lok Sabha elections, claiming most were urgent. However, activists and political parties have accused PMC of mismanagement. The organization aimed to achieve the most before the state assembly polls’ model code of conduct was declared and the Shiv Sena also staged an agitation in front of PMC headquarters.
Activists claim that the civic body issued large tenders before the February code of conduct, primarily to avoid budgetary allocation loss before the end of the 2023-24 financial year. They claim PMC is doing the same again, with bids issued by various departments including electrical, road, municipal zones, garden, drainage, water supply, solid waste management, and municipal medical college.
The then PMC administrator, Vikram Kumar, presented a budget of Rs 11,601 crore for FY 2024-25, inflating it by Rs 2,086 crore compared to Rs 9,515 in FY 2023-24. The administration was banking on financial aid of Rs 2,000 crore from the state and central governments. The municipal budget crossed the Rs 10,000 crore mark for the first time in FY 2024-25. Citizens group Surajya Sangharsh Samiti criticized the outdated tenders and activities.
Opponents of tenders argue that PMC should ensure proper use of public funds and control over undue expenses, as the administration’s expenditure has more than doubled in the last five years. PMC’s accounts department head, Ulka Kalaskar, states that tenders are issued based on budgetary allocations.
