PCMC Mayor puts in request for silver mace

PUNE, DEC 5: The mace in the office of the Mayor of Pimpri-Chinchwad will be changed for the first time in the last fifteen years. It will...

PUNE, DEC 5: The mace in the office of the Mayor of Pimpri-Chinchwad will be changed for the first time in the last fifteen years. It will now be made of silver. The mace in use at present is made of wood and has an ornamental design made of silver at one end.

The mace, a mark of honor for the Mayor, is carried by the Mayor8217;s assistant peon, who is dressed in a traditional attire as that of Mavala8217;, during all civic general body meetings and respectfully placed on the table. The meeting does not begin until the mace is formally placed on the table.

Mayor Madhukar Pawle said that although the mace is a mark of honor, it is seldom handled in a proper manner after the meeting gets over. On most occasions, the mace is kept in one corner of the ante-room and very often it gathers dust. It is cleaned just when the next meeting is to be held.

The intention for changing the mace is that it should be handled with respect and also kept in proper custody, Pawle said. A glass box will now be made for the first time in which the mace will be placed. It will be kept at the Mayor8217;s office so that every one can see it, Pawle said.

The cost for making the mace of silver is expected to be just around Rs 13,000, according to the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation stores department. Pawle has already made a request to the commissioner for changing the mace. The work of making the new mace will begin only after the formal approval of the standing committee.

Former Mayor Hanumanth Bhosale however is of the opinion that the mace should not be changed. He said the mace was made during the tenure of the first Mayor and ever since then it has been a mark of respect for all other persons who occupied the coveted post. This is why it has a great significance and should not be changed, he said.