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Minister Madhuri Misal accuses PMC of tarnishing her image by withdrawing proposal for Rs 32-crore works in Parvati

Last week, Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said he was unaware of how the proposal—to use civic funds for the development of an Assembly constituency—got the standing committee’s approval.

2 min readPuneUpdated: Feb 24, 2026 06:18 PM IST

Last year, Madhuri Misal asked the PMC to undertake works in Parvati by committing funds in the civic body’s budget. (Facebook/Madhuri Misal MLA BJP Pune)

Pulling up the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for withdrawing her proposal to allocate funds for civic work in her Parvati Assembly constituency, Maharashtra Urban Development Minister Madhuri Misal on Tuesday sought a written clarification on the decision, which she said tarnished her image.

“After the recommendation of the standing committee, the general body of the municipal corporation had the full right to approve the proposal, and it was not appropriate for you to withdraw the proposal without discussing it with me when I am the MLA of the Parvati Assembly constituency and the minister of state for the Urban development department. It had led to my image being tarnished… without giving me any prior information about this,” Misal said in a letter to the municipal commissioner.

“You had informed the municipal secretary in writing to withdraw the proposal saying some technical and administrative corrections need to be made in it. However, it should be clarified as to what such technical and administrative corrections were required,” she wrote. “I am of the clear opinion that this action of the municipal chief is illegal as per the rules of procedure. However, a factual report in accordance with the matter should be submitted for my perusal immediately.”

On May 9 last year, Misal asked the PMC to undertake works in Parvati by committing funds in the civic body’s budget. There was a meeting with the civic administration on the issue on September 16 last year.
The PMC administration and standing committee later approved taking up 21 civic works by budgeting Rs 32.83 crore for the purpose. However, the proposal was withdrawn on February 18.

“I learnt through the media about the withdrawal of the proposal to commit funds for civic works in Parvati Assembly constituency. I am very disturbed by the media reports, and I feel it has dented my image,” Misal said.

Last week, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram said he was unaware of how the proposal got the standing committee’s approval. He was responding to a question about why the civic body’s funds were being used for local area development in an Assembly constituency when the MLA gets government funds for it.

Ajay Jadhav

Ajay Jadhav is an Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Pune. With over 22 years of experience in the industry, he is a highly specialized journalist whose work focuses on the intersection of urban infrastructure, governance, and sustainability. Professional Background Role: As Assistant Editor, he plays a key role in the editorial direction of the Pune bureau, specializing in urban policy and its direct impact on citizens. Education: He holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a PG Diploma in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He also studied at the prestigious Fergusson College. Impactful Reporting: He is credited with research-based articles on conservancy staff (waste workers) that influenced national policy for better working conditions. He is also known for exposing the contrast between high-end infrastructure (like helipads for leaders) and the lack of basic amenities like schools in their home districts. Personal Interests: An avid trekker and sports enthusiast, his personal interest in the outdoors often informs his reporting on environmental protection and sustainable development. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) His reporting in late 2025 has been dominated by the upcoming January 2026 Civic Polls in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, and the city's infrastructure boom: 1. Political Analysis (Civic Elections 2026) "Not friendly but a bitter fight lies ahead between BJP and NCP for PMC, PCMC" (Dec 22, 2025): A detailed look at the intense rivalry between the Mahayuti partners as they prepare for the January 15 municipal elections. "Pune civic polls: Big blow to NCP, NCP(SP) as leaders switch to BJP" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on high-profile poaching and party-hopping ahead of the elections. "Ajit Pawar's NCP continues domination in Pune, wins 10 of 17 local bodies" (Dec 21, 2025): Analyzing the results of the local self-government body elections as a precursor to the main civic polls. 2. Infrastructure & Urban Development "Looking Ahead at 2026: Pune to see inauguration of much-awaited Hinjewadi to Shivajinagar metro route" (Dec 22, 2025): An "outlook" piece on the critical Metro Line 3 project expected to finish by March 2026. "Building Pune: PMC to construct double-decker bridge over Mula-Mutha River" (Dec 18, 2025): Detailing a major project aimed at easing traffic between Hadapsar and Kharadi. "Condition of highway from Pune to Kolhapur to improve in a year: Gadkari" (Dec 4, 2025): Reporting on the Union Minister’s assurances regarding one of the state's most critical transport corridors. 3. Civic Governance & Environment "Install sensors, LED indicators at construction sites within 15 days: PMC to builders" (Dec 16, 2025): A follow-up to the "Breathless Pune" series, reporting on new mandates for builders to monitor air quality in real-time. "Errors in electoral rolls: PMC corrects data of 92,466 voters" (Dec 16, 2025): Tracking the administrative efforts to clean up the voter lists before the 2026 elections. Signature Style Ajay Jadhav is known for accountability journalism. His work often bridges the gap between high-level policy and the "ground zero" reality of Pune's residents. He is particularly focused on Sustainable Development, ensuring that as Pune grows into a "Bharat Mandapam" style destination (referring to his report on the Lohegaon project), its environmental and social safeguards remain intact. X (Twitter): @ajay_khape ... Read More

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