Major General Navneet Kumar.The Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) is staring at a financial crisis and authorities have expressed serious concern about how it will pay salaries and meet expenditure costs after three months.
The Board has already undertaken austerity measures and put new appointments on hold. But, said PCB officials, they may have to raise vehicle entry fees, parking charges and take other such measures to generate more revenue.
At a press conference called by Major General Navneet Kumar, PCB president and General Officer Commanding of Dakshin Maharashtra and Goa Sub Area on Friday, a presentation was made to highlight the achievements of the board and the challenges that the once self-sufficient body was facing.
The PCB president told mediapersons that despite contributing as much as Rs 1,000 crore per annum as Goods and Services Tax (GST), the state government was yet to allocate the cantonment board’s share. With more than Rs 250 crore still to be allotted to the board, authorities said they had written several letters to the chief minister, chief secretary and others to release the pending GST share. The delay in receiving its share has impacted several development projects, said the PCB president, adding that he will also take up the issue at the forthcoming state-level civil-military liaison conference.
While the board had placed a proposal for Rs 267 crore as budgetary allocation, the Principal Director of Defence Estates has recommended curtailing an estimated Rs 100 crore. PCB CEO Amit Kumar said the final sanction of the budgetary proposal was expected by mid-September, but the board still has to ensure judicious use of funds.
With a financial crisis looming, PCB officials said it was not possible to carry out several projects or development works. The projects hit by the crisis include the construction of a commercial complex for banks and IT companies at Dhobi ghat, construction of staff quarters at Solapur Road, construction of a foot overbridge at Shankarsheth Road, construction of multi-level car parking building on Lloyd Road, remodeling and improvement of the sewage system at Ghorpuri baazar, Wanowrie bazaar, Fatima Nagar and other areas.
’60-70 potholes filled, helpline set up’
To address the problem of potholes in PCB areas, a helpline and a task force — comprising officials from the Military Engineering Services, Cantonment Board engineering department, NGOs and others — has been set up, said Major General Navneet Kumar. “We have been able to fill at least 60-70 potholes and once monsoon is over, we will undertake road repair work,” he said.
