Lokpal backlash: No pension for Pune ex-corporators

In light of the increasing public anger against corruption and splurging of public funds by politicians, members of the standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Tuesday withdrew the proposal seeking pension to former corporators.

The 10-member standing committee belonging to the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress, on August 9 passed a proposal to enable former corporators to draw a pension of Rs5,000 per month.

But on Tuesday, they moved an emergency proposal to cancel the earlier one.

The pension proposal was opposed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). Sena leader Sham Deshpande told reporters the Cong-NCP backtracked fearing defeat in the ensuing PMC election in February 2012.

Civic activists had also strongly opposed the proposal, terming it wasteful expenditure, and calling on citizens to defeat the corporators who supported the proposal.