PCMC blows Rs 26 cr public money on office renovation

Details received in reply to an RTI in 2010 shows the PCMC bought two executive chairs worth Rs 48,525 and Rs 42,500 for Prashant Shitole,chairman of the standing committee,the most powerful financial body of the PCMC. “This is the highest ever price for chairs in PCMC history,” said former mayor R S Kumar,an NCP leader and five-time PCMC corporator.

Shitole,a heavyweight NCP leader from Sangvi area,said he had never asked for such costly chairs. “I just asked for chairs. The administration bought these,” he said.

One chair is in his cabin,the other in the standing committee hall. When contacted,Municipal Commissioner Asheesh Sharma said the standing panel takes decisions concerning its chief. Arvind Shinde,chairman of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) standing committee said his chair was worth only Rs 15,000. Interestingly,the PCMC budget for next fiscal is Rs 1,500 crore (without JNNURM) which is half of Pune civic body’s Rs 3,000 crore budget.

In the same year (2010),PCMC had also bought an executive chair worth Rs 16,650,another high for a single chair,for the slum committee chairman. Mayor Yogesh Behl’s chair is only worth Rs 15,188 and was bought in 2008. Civic officials say every year when office-bearers and the mayor change,the chairs change,too.

Behl,however,tried to steer clear of any controversy. “After I became mayor,I never bought any new chair. I have been using old cars as well…,” Behl said.

Commissioner Sharma said ever since he joined three years back,he has been using the same chair. “It cost Rs 3,000,” stores officials said.

Since 2006,the PCMC has purchased over 2,000 chairs worth over Rs 27 lakh. The highest purchases were in 2006 when 500 chairs,each worth Rs 1,719,were bought for over Rs 8 lakh. In 2010,PCMC bought 3 executive chairs for Rs 4,500 for assistant municipal commissioners.

Behl and Sharma,however,justified the office “renovation mission” started by Dilip Band in 2006 to give PCMC a “corporate look” “Our offices should look posh where citizens should feel like visiting regularly. Why work in offices caught in cobwebs,” said Behl. Sharma said all 30 departments would be renovated,but the expenditure won’t go beyond Rs 30 crore. The maximum amount of Rs 21 crore was spent on improving the fourth floor of PCMC headquarters,the RTI reveals. The computer,town planning,law departments and the deputy mayor’s office were also renovated.

Independent corporator Maruti Bhapkar said,“PCMC has using public money indiscriminately. The furniture and interiors of PCMC have already been in order,yet they want to keep blowing precious public funds.” Shiv Sena corporator Seema Savle said,“Since NCP enjoys the majority,who will stop it from splurging public funds ? RTI query shows its own leaders are in the forefront.”