₹52 Crore Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s Scam: Here’s All You Need To Know About the Bogus Bills Row

Pimpri-Chinchwad: Pravin Jain, Chief Accountant and Finance Officer of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), has been sent on forced leave over an alleged Rs 52 crore financial irregularity.

Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Dr Vijay Suryawanshi said the move was taken to ensure a fair and transparent inquiry.

The civic body has also blocked all related payments. Officials confirmed that not a single rupee has been transferred to contractors. A five-member inquiry committee has been set up and asked to submit its report within seven days.

The case came to light after Standing Committee Chairman Abhishek Barne of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) flagged suspicious payments made at the end of the financial year. According to him, bills worth Rs 52 crore were processed on 30th and 31st March by allegedly manipulating budget provisions through bogus supplementary motions.

These bills were linked to around 70 works, including water supply, civil projects, and the bus rapid transit system (BRTS). Each bill ranged between Rs 1 crore and Rs 1.5 crore.

It is alleged that contractors were told to obtain signatures from two corporators to clear their payments. Some corporators later claimed their signatures were taken without full information.

PCMC Chief Unaware?

The commissioner said there is no official record of these supplementary motions in the municipal secretary's office. He added that Jain did not inform him before processing the payments.

An inquiry committee led by Additional Commissioner Vijaykumar Khorate will examine all transactions. It will verify bills issued between 24th and 31st March, check budget changes, and review approvals. The panel will also study similar cases from the past three years.

Committee Has Full Powers…

Officials said the committee has full powers to access documents and question staff. Any attempt to hide information or delay the probe will invite strict action.

The investigation will also look into Jain’s decision to change the Municipal Corporation’s bank. Authorities will check if due process was followed and whether it caused any financial loss.

For now, Chief Auditor Pramod Bhosale has been given additional charge of the finance department. Further action will depend on the findings of the inquiry report.