Pune: A shocking case has come to light in the Bhavani Peth Ward Office, where bills amounting to crores of rupees were issued for developmental works, especially rewiring in schools, that were never carried out.
Following this revelation, Municipal Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale ordered an investigation into these development projects on Monday (July 8). Former PMC leader Ganesh Bidkar uncovered this scandal through the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
Union Minister of State Murlidhar Mohol organized a meeting on Monday at the municipal corporation to discuss various development projects. The meeting was attended by Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B.P., City Engineer Prashant Waghmare, and heads of various departments. BJP city president Dheeraj Ghate, Ganesh Bidkar, Hemant Rasane, Shrinath Bhimale, and several former councilors were also present.
During the review by Mohol, the issue of encroachments on city roads was raised. In the midst of the discussion, the topic of developmental works under the Bhavani Peth Ward Office surfaced.
Hemant Rasane alleged that bills had been paid for works that were never completed. "This is a very serious matter, and former PMC leader Ganesh Bidkar has obtained alarming information through the RTI," Rasane stated.
Following Rasane's claims, discussions took place in the commissioner's office, and an investigation into these controversial works has been initiated, according to sources.
According to the information received, approximately ₹15 crore worth of 26 development projects were proposed in the previous budget for the Kasba Assembly constituency.
After the municipal administration was placed under an administrator, Bidkar pursued these projects. Bidkar tracked which contractors were awarded the tenders and whether they completed the works.
Correspondence with the municipal administration in March revealed that these works were not completed by March 15. However, it was suddenly found that between March 15 and March 30, 15 of these projects were completed and bills were paid, according to information obtained through the RTI.
Among these, significant amounts were reportedly spent on rewiring schools. All these development works will be scrutinized, and there is a possibility that the contractors involved may be blacklisted. The administration has also reportedly started preparing to file criminal charges as necessary, sources claimed.
