PMC spent Rs 33 cr on consultancy in 10 yrs

PMC spent Rs 33 cr on consultancy in 10 yrs

Pune: During the last ten years, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) spent around Rs 33 crore on consultants for designing roads. Yet, year after year, citizens have to deal with massive potholes on the roads. 

Over the last ten years, the PMC Road Department took help of consultants for road-related work such as road concertisation, development of new roads, putting paving blocks on pedestrian pathways and road safety management. 

Shiv Sena leader Prithviraj Sutar submitted a written question in June this year in the General Body meeting. 

He demanded to know how much was spent on consultants for carrying out development-related work. 

Sutar said that the road department has spent maximum Rs 33 crore on road work and yet, they have failed to solve the basic problem of waterlogging. 

Even after redesigning of roads, the problem of waterlogging persists. 

The Pune Municipal Corporation has shared information after collating the data from the civic body’s different departments.

Several cousultants were paid to carry out the work associated with road, solid waste, water supply and electrical departments. 

The consulting work related to road department tops the list with spending of Rs 33 crore. 

Following this, Rs16 crore was spent for consultation for Water Supply Department. Solid Waste Department spent the lowest i.e. Rs 1 crore on consultancy. 

According to the PMC, consultants do work of project designing, make project estimate, make tender with specification, check work as per specification etc.

On the spending of crores on consultancy, Sutar said, “It is a wastage of public money. The PMC has technical and well-qualified, experienced staff which can easily carry out different works. There is no need to appoint a consultant.”

“The PMC should take the help of consultant if there is new work in which the PMC doesn’t have any knowledge or expertise or they cannot do it. Consultants charge 5 per cent on the total project cost. Therefore, consultant increases the project cost to get more money for consultancy. The consultants only offer consultancy to the PMC and do not take any responsibility of work,” Sutar further added. 

The Pune Municipal Corporation gave a written answer that they have spent around Rs 70 crore for engaging consultants to carry out works such as roads, drainage, water supply, solid waste, electrical department and development projects. 

A senior official from the PMC said, “The civic body  does not have enough technical and experienced staff which can provide expertise in different areas. There is a lot of routine work which civic officials have to do daily.” 

“Therefore, there is lack of time, staff and expertise to design projects like roads, overbridges, flyovers and special projects such as 24x7 water project, Bhama-Askhed, Smart Street lighting project,” the official further informed.  

The official also said that the civic body is not taking consultancy for every development project. 

Consultancy is research of new technology, gives options to improve the quality of work.

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