Political Interference Alleged in Pune's ₹200 Crore Stream Wall Tenders

Pune: The Maharashtra state government has allocated ₹200 crore to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for constructing boundary walls along the city's streams following the devastating flood in the Ambil Odha area.

This allocation includes 88 projects, but a controversy has arisen as the PMC issued tenders for these projects without attaching necessary cost estimates. The District Collector's office has raised objections, and reports suggest political interference in awarding the tenders.

The catastrophic flood on September 25, 2019, resulted from a cloudburst that caused widespread damage in the city, particularly along the Ambil Odha.

Over 20 people lost their lives, and numerous residential structures were damaged. In response, the PMC undertook protective measures, including building new walls and bridges, but some work remained incomplete due to technical challenges. To address these, the state government sanctioned ₹200 crore earlier this year.

The government order issued on July 30 outlined the specific areas where the boundary walls would be constructed, along with the allocated budget for each project.

Despite this, the PMC issued tenders for five assembly constituencies—Parvati, Kothrud, Shivajinagar, Pune Cantonment, and Shivajinagar—without including the required estimates, leading to objections from the District Collector's office.

Efforts to cancel the tenders were reportedly halted after intervention from higher political authorities, and the tenders were retained. Sources within the PMC suggest that political figures have been attempting to influence the tender process to favor specific contractors.

The areas slated for construction of boundary walls include Wanawadi Society, Bhairoba Nala, Sopanbaug, B.T. Kawade Road, Koregaon Park, Sinhagad Road, and several others.

The total tender amounts vary by constituency, with Khadakwasla leading with ₹41.23 crore and Parvati close behind at ₹41.15 crore.