PMC’s expenditure on private consultants under a cloud

PMC’s expenditure on private consultants under a cloud

PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has spent crores of rupees on hiring services of expert consultants to execute development projects flawlessly and to improve the basic infrastructure in the city. These projects were aimed at easing the traffic, water supply problems and river improvement. However these problems have not been solved by the PMC efficiently so far.

Since 2007 till date the PMC appointed 48 private consultants for their expertise and paid them Rs 42.17 crore in total towards their consultancy charges. Out of these 48 projects, 18  were pertaining to improvement of the water supply system and 30 were related to construction of flyovers, underpass, subway and river improvement.

Interestingly, execution of 25 development projects is either incomplete or the work has stopped midway due to strong opposition from the project affected. This information was revealed by the civic administration while replying to questions raised by senior Congress corporator Aba Bagul during the General Body meeting on Friday.

According to the written reply given to Bagul by the civic administration, during last 10 years 48 private consultants were appointed by the PMC for preparing the detailed project report or recommending expert advice to the PMC for smooth execution and maximum success of the project.

But in fact, important projects like laying the 1,700 mm diameter pipeline from Bhama Askhed dam to Pune, railway underpass in Hadapsar-Handewadi, vehicle underpass at SG Barve Chowk and near District Court in Shivajinagar, flyover at CoEP to name a few did not deliver the expected results.

When contacted, Bagul said the PMC concealed  information about appointments of consultants and fees paid to them. “If the PMC is going for executing the development project. only then should the PMC appoint a consultant, otherwise it is a sheer waste of money,” Bagul told Sakal Times. 

However the General Body meeting was adjourned to August 28 and the discussion on the questions raised by Bagul will be held at that time.

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