The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) standing committee is sitting on about 120 development project proposals related to the city’s infrastructure. These plans were proposed by the civic administration at different stages since March last year.
While 63 are waiting for the standing committee chairman’s signature, the remaining proposals are pending as the panel deferred discussions on them during meetings.
DNA obtained details of these projects after conducting a file inspection under section 4 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act, 2005.
Of the 63 proposals approved by the standing committee, 41 are pending as the former standing committee chairman, Arvind Shinde, did not sign them. Shinde’s successor, Ganesh Bidkar, is yet to sign on the 22 other proposals.
A senior civic official, requesting anonymity, admitted that a majority of the proposals are of utmost importance. “Most of the proposals relate to civic improvement and stalling them means a great loss to the city,” the official said.
The inspection of files revealed that the proposals pending during Shinde’s tenure include 17 projects related to laying of water pipeline in various parts of the city, including Warje, Karvenagar, Yerawada and Aundh.
Also pending are the proposals for laying of main water supply lines on the Mumbai-Pune Highway and in Aundh. The proposal to allow the garden department to procure two new water tankers is also on hold.
A proposal to acquiring two disputed properties in the busy Somwar Peth area to ease traffic congestion, although passed, is pending for want of Shinde’s signature. The proposal for capping of garbage at the erstwhile dumping ground of Uruli Devachi is also pending. The other important projects awaiting his signature are the plans of developing a nala garden in Vishrantwadi, improvement of facilities at Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad Memorial in Koregaon Park and developing seminar facilities at the art gallery on Ghole Road.
Four projects related to construction of box culverts over nalas in Pashan, Lohegaon and other areas are waiting for Bidkar’s signature.
The other major projects in limbo include procurement of beef for carnivorous animals at the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Katraj and construction of a dispensary in Wadgaon Sheri. The upgradation of crematorium and burial ground in Koregaon Park is also pending.
The acting municipal commissioner, Dilip Band, took strong exception to these pending proposals, asking for a list of infrastructural projects pending before the standing committee for more than 15 days. Immediately after taking over charge of the PMC on April 17, Band shot off a letter to municipal secretary Sunil Parkhi reminding the latter about section 73 of the Bombay Provincial Municipal (BPMC), Act 1949.
Under that section, any proposal pending before the standing committee for more than 15 days is deemed to be passed and has to be placed before the general body (GB) for its ratification.
In case the elected corporators have objections, the proposals are sent back to the municipal commissioner.
Parkhi told DNA that a list of 120 projects will be put before the GB in its next meeting.
Shinde, said, “Once the proposals are passed by the standing committee, it is the duty of the municipal secretary to send them to the chairman for signature. As far as I recall, I have signed all the proposals that were sent to me. The proposals which did not have my signature might have had some clarifications, and thus were not sent up for my signature.”
Bidkar said, “I have signed all the proposals that were presented to me. The ones which have not been signed might have some technical queries attached to them.”
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