PUNE: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has clamped down on unauthorised movement of funds for municipal works. Internal transfer of public funds for civic works, made by corporators among themselves, has also been barred.
Henceforth, projects will be scrapped, if those works or funds allocated to them are shifted from one municipal ward to another, without proper process and permissions. The move was made to avoid misuse of public money under the garb of transfers.
The elected members get budgetary provisions to carry out development works in their wards. Funds are given through the main office and from the ward offices. The rights to approve financial aid for projects are vested with civic officials if the provisions are less. The green signal from the civic standing committee and general body are a must for bigger projects.
“Projects are designed for a particular ward or location. The money is allotted to them accordingly. These funds need to be moved after due approvals. Then tenders are supposed to be issued and work orders allotted. But some elected members have transferred the works or funds on their own without carrying out due process. Technically, all such transfers are unauthorised,” a senior PMC official said.
He added that the money allotted for the projects should be spent in the given financial year. If not approved, the funds can lapse. Sometimes, the PMC has given extensions to the municipal budget for three to four months. The aim was to make sure that funds are utilised properly.
The municipal commissioner’s office, referring to a September 2018 circular, in the last week of February issued a notice regarding any change of place in the municipal works. The older circular had highlighted that only in case of an emergency can works can be transferred from one place to another.
“Hereafter, those works for which tenders and work orders have been issued should not be transferred. If the project cannot be carried out at the proposed site due to some issue, then that tenders should be scrapped. The department heads of the PMC should follow this order strictly,” municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad said in the circular.
Henceforth, projects will be scrapped, if those works or funds allocated to them are shifted from one municipal ward to another, without proper process and permissions. The move was made to avoid misuse of public money under the garb of transfers.
The elected members get budgetary provisions to carry out development works in their wards. Funds are given through the main office and from the ward offices. The rights to approve financial aid for projects are vested with civic officials if the provisions are less. The green signal from the civic standing committee and general body are a must for bigger projects.
“Projects are designed for a particular ward or location. The money is allotted to them accordingly. These funds need to be moved after due approvals. Then tenders are supposed to be issued and work orders allotted. But some elected members have transferred the works or funds on their own without carrying out due process. Technically, all such transfers are unauthorised,” a senior PMC official said.
He added that the money allotted for the projects should be spent in the given financial year. If not approved, the funds can lapse. Sometimes, the PMC has given extensions to the municipal budget for three to four months. The aim was to make sure that funds are utilised properly.
The municipal commissioner’s office, referring to a September 2018 circular, in the last week of February issued a notice regarding any change of place in the municipal works. The older circular had highlighted that only in case of an emergency can works can be transferred from one place to another.
“Hereafter, those works for which tenders and work orders have been issued should not be transferred. If the project cannot be carried out at the proposed site due to some issue, then that tenders should be scrapped. The department heads of the PMC should follow this order strictly,” municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad said in the circular.
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