Rao relaxes diversion fund order due to pressure from corporators

Pune: Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao has buckled under the pressure from corporators and has decided to allow diversion of funds for non-budgetary work (not mentioned in PMC budget 2019-20). The civic chief has revised the earlier order regarding diversion of funds. Rao has now allowed diversion of funds but has also put a deadline of February 15 to send a proposal for diversion of the funds. 

On Saturday, Rao issued a fresh circular and mentioned that diversion will be allowed and proposals should be sent before February 15 of every financial year. More than a week ago, Rao had issued an instruction to all heads of department to stop diversion of funds which is usually done at the beginning and end of every financial year. 

However, local representatives objected and demanded to scrap the order. The order is still on and corporators are also sending proposals to the PMC Standing Committee to divert funds to budgetary work which has not been mentioned or planned in the PMC Budget 2019-20. On this order, all local representatives criticised the civic chief and alleged him of encroaching on rights of local representatives. 

Last week, the corporators gave proposals of more than Rs 10 crore to divert funds for non-budgetary work in the Standing Committee for approval on Tuesday’s meeting. Now, the administration has taken a U-turn and revised the order of diversion of funds. 

On Saturday, Rao issued a fresh circular regarding diversion of funds. Now, they have mentioned the deadline of submitting diversion proposal in the circular.  On February 27, the PMC Standing Committee passed a budget of Rs 6,765 crore. The committee chairman had presented a budget that was Rs 680 crore higher than the draft budget presented by Rao in February. Rao had presented a draft budget of Rs 6,085 crore.