A file image of documents received by PCMC’s audit department from various civic departments.
AS many as 24 heads of departments of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) are in trouble for not submitting a single file or document sought by the audit department. All the heads of the department face a fine of Rs 25,000 and, according to government rules, they may even lose their pension benefits.
Confirming the development, PCMC Audit Department chief Padmashree Taldekar told The Indian Express. on Tuesday that she has already submitted a report to Municipal Commissioner Shravan Hardikar regarding non-submission of the files or documents by the 24 civic departments. In case of non-submission or non-production of documents for a long period of time, they are considered ‘missing’ files.
“The report was submitted over a week ago. The civic chief will decide the action to be taken against the heads of the departments,” she said.
The audit department has been conducting an audit of PCMC records spanning over the past three decades. Till now, it has found that files and documents, collectively amounting to projects and transactions worth Rs 1,700 crore, had been missing from PCMC offices.
In April, the PCMC administration and the standing committee had given two months’ time to 144 civic departments to produce the relevant files and documents, pertaining to various civic projects or financial transactions.
By the deadline of June 27, over 100 departments had submitted files cumulatively worth Rs 950 crore.
“After the deadline, we have stopped collecting any papers. Apparently, the 24 departments concerned did not have any documents to show. The total worth of files comes to around Rs 50 crore,” said Taldekar.
The fine of Rs 25,000 — announced by Standing Committee Chairperson Seema Savale — is viewed as a serious one. If implemented, it will cause a serious dent in the service record of the senior officials and they may even lose their pension benefits.
However, Savale said she was contemplating giving an extension of a week or fortnight to the 24 departments, to give them time to produce the ‘missing’ documents.
“If we impose a fine of Rs 25,000 now, it will be a very serious one as the official concerned, as per the state government’s rules, may even lose the pension benefits. Therefore, we are contemplating giving another extension so that the officials can produce some documents at least,” she said.
In 1999, civic activist Maruti Bhapkar had approached the Bombay High Court, and pointed out that the PCMC had not conducted an audit for years. The High Court had asked the state government as to why the PCMC should not be dissolved.
Subsequently, when the first audit was conducted, it was found that files and papers on projects worth Rs 250 crore were missing. As further audits were conducted, it was revealed that the number of “missing” files and documents had reached a staggering Rs 1,700 crore, as reported by The Indian Express.
Speaking on the issue, Bhapkar said the PCMC needed to act tough to solve the long-pending issue once and for all. “If stern action is taken in the matter, we won’t have this scenario of files and documents missing from civic offices,” he said.
