Pune civic activists crack whip on PMC for inflating prices

After civic activists pointed out on Monday that the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) had purchased coconuts at a highly inflated price for palkhi processions, the standing committee chairman stopped payment to the supplier the next day.

In a letter to municipal commissioner Mahesh Pathak and standing committee chairman Ganesh Bidkar, civic activists Vijay Kumbhar, Vivek Velankar and Vishwas Sahastrabuddhe had demanded an inquiry into the matter.

Citing a proposal recently approved by the standing committee, they said that the PMC bought 1,500 coconuts at Rs19 per piece, when their retail price is Rs10 per piece, while the wholesale rate is Rs8 per piece. The committee had agreed to pay Rs28,500 for the lot.

The coconuts were bought by the PMC for palkhi processions on June 25, 2011. As per the tradition, Pune mayor Mohansingh Rajpal had felicitated the chiefs of dindis (troupes) in the palkhi procession, giving them coconuts.

Bidkar said he had ordered ‘stop payment’ and asked the municipal secretary to get a clarification on the expenditure before paying the bill. He said the proposal was sent by the mayor’s office.