Former Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) corporators Ujjwal Keskar, Suhas Kulkarni and Prashant Badhe have raised a concern over the expenditure on sewerage and drainage projects during the administrator’s rule. They are demanding a detailed explanation from the civic administration regarding how the funds were spent and what work has actually been completed on the ground.
They even wrote a letter addressed to the chairman and members of the standing committee, pointing out discrepancies while examining the figures presented in the municipal budget by the commissioner.
According to the budget figures, Rs 571.95 crore has been spent on sewerage works and another Rs 574 crore on sewerage projects, taking the total expenditure to about Rs 1,145.95 crore. The leaders, however, have questioned the effectiveness of this spending, especially in the 11 villages and the later-merged 23 villages under PMC limits.
Keskar said, "The drainage project department had prepared a master plan and floated tenders for these areas. Despite this, many localities in these villages continue to face severe drainage problems, with streams and drains overflowing with sewage water. If such a large amount has been spent, then why are these areas still struggling with basic drainage issues? We urge the administration to verify what work has actually been carried out."
Kulkarni added, "We have called for an examination of whether the drainage network has been properly connected. They claim that sewage water from many drains still flows directly into rivers, raising doubts about the effectiveness of the drainage infrastructure. We have demanded that the administration present the consultant’s detailed project report, copies of the tenders, and the bills prepared after on-site verification of completed work. We urge authorities to investigate whether there has been any collusion between certain contractors and officials who have been posted in the department for several years."
Badhe has raised questions about reports that a contractor’s Innova car is allegedly being used by a senior engineer and a deputy engineer linked to the project. "We want clarity from the administration on the matter. The civic body should submit a clear timeline on when the ongoing sewerage (SD) works will actually be completed, questioning whether these projects will continue," he said.
The former opposition leaders have appealed to the standing committee to examine the matter thoroughly in the interest of Pune and its residents, as residents should know about the transparency and accountability in large-scale civic infrastructure projects.
