Pune: Congress Alleges Financial Irregularities In PMC’s ₹50 Crore Road Project Near Sunny’s World, Seeks Cancellation & Probe

The Pune City District Congress Committee has alleged serious financial irregularities in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s proposed ₹50.33 crore road widening project between Sunny’s World and AP Road in the Sus–Nande area and has demanded that the tender be immediately cancelled.

In a letter submitted to the Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner, Committee Chairman Arvind Shinde objected to the proposal placed before the General Body in the February meeting. The project involves widening the road by reducing its slope under provisions of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act, with a budgetary allocation proposed for the next financial year.

The Congress has claimed that Section 67(3)C of the Act, which is meant to be used only in exceptional or emergencies, has been misused to award the contract without inviting open tenders.

According to the letter, a work order dated October 24, 2025, was issued to Siddhivinayak Construction India Pvt. Ltd. for nearly ₹50 crore without a public tender advertisement.

Shinde has stated that as per the revised tender procedure approved earlier by the Municipal Commissioner, even in urgent cases, a minimum seven-day tender process is mandatory. He questioned why such a process was not followed despite the matter being under consideration for nearly five months.

The party has also raised concerns over pricing. It is alleged that in other cases, contractors have been pressured to reduce quoted rates during negotiations, and tenders have been cancelled if rates were not lowered. However, in the present case, the civic administration is recommending the project at what the Congress claims is the highest rate, even though current tenders are reportedly coming in at prices 25 per cent lower than estimates.

Another concern raised relates to land acquisition. The Congress pointed out that a previous circular states that tenders should not be floated unless at least 80 per cent of the required land is in the corporation’s possession. It is alleged that in this case, the tender process was initiated even though only 50 per cent of the land had been acquired.

The letter further claims that since the project involves the construction of a cement concrete road, the contractor must have an approved Ready-Mix Concrete (RMC) plant as per existing criteria. The Congress alleged that the selected contractor does not have an approved RMC facility and instead operates an asphalt plant. It also alleged that the consultant’s estimate for the project was inflated by up to three times the actual cost.

The Congress has demanded that the tender be scrapped and a fresh bidding process be conducted, claiming that doing so could save nearly ₹25 crore of public money. It has also sought a judicial inquiry by a committee of retired judges into the role of administrative officers who cleared the project under Section 67A.

Warning of protests and legal action, the party stated that it will strongly oppose the project if it is approved without addressing the alleged irregularities. Copies of the complaint have been forwarded to senior officials in the municipal administration and the Urban Development Department in Mumbai.