Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has decided to curb misuse of plastic buckets for garbage segregation, jute bags and benches that are distributed to the residents for free.
The civic body has issued an order that a record of these items distributed has to be maintained by taking signatures, mobile numbers and addresses of the beneficiaries, in addition to video recording. Besides that, PMC’s Store Department should have a video recording of ward offices accepting these items from the contractors.
Every year, PMC spends around Rs 5 crore on the purchase of benches, jute bags (an alternative to plastic bags) and plastic buckets for waste segregation.
In 2003-04, the State Government had approved the distribution of plastic buckets to citizens for segregation of wet and dry garbage during Sant Gadge Baba Swachata Abhiyan.
The decision was taken by then PMC Commissioner TC Benjamin. However, it turned into a tool of self-promotion by corporators.
The corporators started buying these buckets from their ward development funds and got their names painted on them. The corporators used maximum ward development funds ahead of the civic polls.
Recently, Additional Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Nimbalkar stopped purchase of all these items, however, the corporators pressurised him to restart this process.
Now, the PMC has restarted the buying process but has instructed the Store Department to handle buying and distribution of the items at the ward offices based on their requirements.
PMC Store Department Head Tushar Daundkar said, “We have sent an order to all ward offices regarding new purchase and distribution guidelines. Earlier, the ward offices used to purchase these items but now they can’t. They have to send a utilisation certificate to the main Store Department and after that, we will float a tender and buy and distribute the items.”
Ward offices will also keep a record of the distribution of items to citizens or societies by making a list of their names, phone numbers, addresses and signatures. The ward offices will have to shoot videos of distribution and send the report to the Store Department.
Funds for promotion
