Operation Clean-Up

A retired army officer uses just his right to know to battle politicians and bureaucrats who misuse official vehicles.

It must be the army man in him. At 74, major-general retd SCN Jatar is busy battling corruption in the Pune Municipal Corporation. Even before the Right to Information Act became the common man8217;s weapon, he used the Maharashtra RTI Act in 2003 to expose the misuse of official cars by the elected representatives at the Pune Municipal Corporation.

8220;Getting information is a very small part of the RTI Act. The real issue is, what after procuring the information?8221; says the sprightly Jatar, who is also the president of the non-government organization Nagrik Chetna Manch in Pune. 8220;The politicians and administrators know that most of the issues will make news for a few days and then forgotten. That is why it is important to go after them to ensure better governance in the future.8221;

Jatar fired the first salvo in October 2003. He got the details of the logbook entries of the trips made in official cars by the mayor, deputy mayor, standing committee chairman, and leader of the opposition. Jatar then revealed to the city that Rs 51 lakh was spent in 10 months on these travels.

8220;The bill indicated that either too many outstation trips were being made or that 400 km were being clocked each day within city limits,8221; says Jatar recalling his first findings. So he went ahead and procured details about the outstation trips made by the officials. It showed that officials made trips to every religious and tourist place in Maharashtra all in the name of 8220;official purposes8221;.

Jatar took the findings to municipal commissioner TC Benjamin, who issued a circular that if any government official or corporator used official vehicles for personal purposes he or she would be charged at double the rate. This move fetched the PMC Rs 49 lakh in two years. In 2005, Jatar sought information about a study tour undertaken by the PMC8217;s Women and Child Welfare Committee in which seven women corporators and four other employees visited Vaishnodevi, Amritsar, Dalhousie and Delhi at an official expense of Rs 2 lakh. As the delegates were not willing to reveal details, Jatar wrote to the authorities in the Capital seeking information on the delegation, only to get a reply that no such group had met them. The case in now in the courts but in 2006 when the Tree Authority Committee went to a study tour to Darjeeling, they had to give a written undertaking that if the visit proved to be unnecessary later, the delegates would reimburse the expenses incurred. Jatar and his supporters have been able to block almost every foreign tour since then, including one planned last year by the corporators to Brazil to 8220;study the bus rapid transit8221;.

So what spurs the retired soldier to carry on with the Herculean task of cleaning up the system? 8220;The pride an army man has in his country and an urge to ensure better and more transparent governance,8221; says Jatar, who is tracking down footpath encroachments and the standing committee8217;s reported delay in clearing proposals on its agenda.

Sunanda Mehta

Sunanda Mehta is the Resident Editor of The Indian Express in Pune. She is a distinguished journalist, columnist, and author with over three decades of experience in the media industry. Educational background: A merit-lister in her 12 th in CBSE (5th rank in Humanities) Sunanda stood first in History in the Board for which she was awarded the Dr Tarachand Gold Medal. She is a triple-graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (History Honours) from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi, Bachelor of Education, Delhi University (on scholarship) and Bachelor of Communication and Journalism, University of Pune. Professional Background Role: As Resident Editor, she oversees the Pune edition of The Indian Express, managing local news coverage, investigative features, and editorial direction for the city. Author: She is an accomplished author, known for her biographies. Her notable books include: The Extraordinary Life and Death of Sunanda Pushkar published by Pan Macmillan (2019). The book was long-listed for the Atta Galatta award for nonfiction and Auther award for best debut author. Majestic Musings - Translation of poems from 100 year old Badshaian from Punjabi to English (2023) Behind the Big Screen- the untold stories of child actors published by Bloomsbury India (2024) Focus Areas: While Sunanda has reported on various subjects from civic to political to investigative and crime, her forte remains long-form human-interest stories, heritage and gender issues. Core Column: "Against All Odds" Sunanda curates and writes a signature series titled "Against All Odds," which profiles individuals who have overcome significant personal, medical, or professional challenges. Recent notable articles (2025) The Story of Dr. Harinder Dhaliwal (July 2025): A Pune AFMC topper who became a neurologist in Canada despite becoming paraplegic. Jayoo Patwardhan’s Cancer Journey (Jan 2025): How the National Film Award-winning designer defeated cancer. Partha Iyengar’s Emergency mid-air (Aug 2025): The story of how Gartner’s India head survived a massive heart attack during a long-haul flight. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent reportage continues to explore deep personal narratives and Pune’s socio-environmental landscape: 1. Personal Narratives & Closure "'I grieved for him 10 years after his murder, found closure to unsolved case'" (Dec 14, 2025): A poignant feature on Vineet Alurkar, son of the late Pune music legend Suresh Alurkar, and how digitizing his father’s collection helped him heal. "A 40-day journey home: how Christopher Benninger's partner gave him the gift of memories" (Nov 23, 2025): A moving tribute to the late acclaimed architect Christopher Benninger and his final trip to the US. "'After 38 years I finally met my biological mother'" (Sept 28, 2025): Chronicling the journey of an adopted daughter from Zurich searching for her roots in Pune. 2. Civic & Heritage "'Vetal Tekdi belongs to common citizens'" (Oct 20, 2025): An interview with environmental activist Dr. Sushma Date on the community-led protection of Pune’s vital green lungs. "'Military village' Apshinge recalls living through war days" (Aug 12, 2025): A report from a village in Maharashtra where nearly every household has a member in the armed forces, focusing on their legacy and current anxieties. 3. High-Profile Commentary & Investigations "Malegaon blast acquittals: 'I was expecting this verdict'" (July 31, 2025): An interview with former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian following the controversial acquittals. "Grounded, license cancelled... she decided to soar higher" (March 30, 2025): The story of Dr. Harpreet A De Singh, Air India’s first woman pilot from 1988, and her transition to leadership and meditation. Signature Style Sunanda Mehta is known for her empathetic storytelling. Unlike standard news reporting, her features often read like narrative non-fiction, focusing on the psychological and emotional resilience of her subjects. One of her articles in The Indian Express titled 'The Quality of Mercy' was converted into a film Rubaru Roshini produced by actor Aamir Khan. She is a strong advocate for Pune's heritage and environment, frequently using her platform to amplify citizen-led movements. X (Twitter): @sunandamehta and @ExpressPune ... Read More