PUNE: The administration of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has allowed the corporators to purchase plastic dustbins and jute bags or cloth carry bags and distribute it free to the people, but on conditions.
Earlier, the civic body had taken a policy decision to not allow the purchase of plastic dustbins and cloth bags, which the corporators distribute to citizens within their wards to promote themselves using taxpayers’ money.
Last month, the civic administration mentioned in its proposal that the municipal administration would make the purchase of dustbins only for the civic body’s use, which would have higher capacity. The administration also appealed to the Standing Committee to draft a policy on use of existing funds allocated for the purchase and distribution of dustbins having 80 litres capacity in commercial areas instead of allowing the purchase of dustbins for free distribution to housing societies or individual households.
However, all corporators objected to the administration’s proposal. The Standing Committee said the corporations should be allowed to spend some funds to purchase dustbins instead of stopping the scheme completely.
After strong resistance from the corporators, the administration allowed the corporators to purchase dustbins as well as cloth bags on some conditions. Now, the corporators will able to use allocated funds for dustbins. Moreover, the corporators will also divert other development funds to purchase cloth bags.
In the civic budget, there is no provision to purchase cloth bags. However, after the State government banned plastic bags, the corporators started diverting ward development funds to purchase cloth bags and distribute freely to citizens.
Rajendra Nimbalkar, the Additional Municipal Commissioner, said, “The civic administration has taken a policy decision to not only purchase plastic dustbins, cloth bags but also benches (wooden or steel). We have instructed officials to keep a record of beneficiaries, which is mandatory.”
