Pune: In a startling revelation, a contractor responsible for mechanically cleaning the wider roads of Pimpri has been found guilty of running road sweepers without actually performing the cleaning, in an attempt to inflate the kilometers covered.

This malpractice by Lion Services Ltd., the company contracted for the task, led to the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's treasury being unfairly depleted. Following an investigation, the health department has imposed a fine of ₹50,000 on the contractor.

The municipal corporation’s mandate involves the mechanical cleaning of roads that are 18 meters or wider, divided into the southern and northern parts of the city.

Since February, four agencies have been deployed across four divisions to carry out this work, with each division equipped with two large and two medium road sweepers, two heavy vehicles, and a water tanker.

To ensure proper execution, each division should ideally employ a team of 55 workers, including 32 cleaning staff, nine drivers, ten operators, and four assistants. The requirement for each road sweeper is to cover 40 kilometers of road daily.

Key areas of focus include roads 18 meters wide or more, BRTS routes, footpaths along highways, and service roads, which must be cleaned three times weekly. The central median and walls along main roads need to be cleaned once a week.

However, during an inspection of the stretch from Dapodi to Pimpri on the Pune-Mumbai road, senior officials discovered that the road sweepers operated by Lion Services were merely driving along the roads without conducting the necessary cleaning.

The health department immediately issued a notice to the contractor, demanding an explanation. Due to an unsatisfactory response from the contractor, a fine of ₹50,000 was imposed, which will be deducted from the contractor’s payment.

The health department has issued a stern warning that any further negligence will result in stricter penalties. This incident underscores the importance of vigilant oversight in municipal operations to ensure that public funds are used effectively and that services promised to the citizens are actually delivered.