PUNE, April 28: Notwithstanding the opposition from the elected office-bearers at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) the civic administration today set the process rolling for implementing the mega water supply and sewerage augmentation plan.Outgoing Municipal Commissioner Ramanath Jha today handed over the ``request for proposal document'' to the six shortlisted companies which are vying for the contract of the Rs 430 crore first phase of the multi-crore project.Mayor Vatsala Andekar and all the elected office-bearers at the PMC boycotted the function organised at the civic general body meeting hall this afternoon. In a statement issued to press, Andekar and the elected office-bearers have condemned the administration for pushing through the proposal without it being cleared by the civic general body.The Pune Vikas Aghadi (PVA) corporators had postponed the discussions on the proposal which was on the agenda of the general body meeting last week. Besides, they had also turned down the motion congratulating the outgoing civic chief.The Congressmen had strongly condemned the move accusing the PVA of attempting to rob Jha of his credit for the project. Pointing out that the standing committee had already approved the proposal the Congressmen had asserted that it be taken up for discussion considering that the administration was scheduled to issue the tender sets (request for proposal documents) to the shortlisted bidders on April 28.After consulting the legal advisors, appointed by the PMC specifically for this project, Jha today went ahead with the scheduled programme. He argued that it would not be in the interest of the PMC to halt the process at this juncture, that too when the State Government and the standing committee had given a green signal to it.In their statement, the elected office-bearers have argued that the chairman of the standing committee was not elected when the committee had approved the proposal. Also, majority of the corporators at the PMC were not aware of the details of the project.``The first phase of the project is estimated to cost over Rs 430 crore. These funds are to be raised through loans for which the PMC properties will be required to be mortgaged. There is a need to conduct a thorough debate over the proposal as the loan repayment might hamper the other development works in the city in future.
