BJP MLA Laxman Jagtap. BJP MLA Laxman Jagtap on Wednesday said he had raised in the state Legislative Assembly the issue of “irregularities” in the purchase of bedsheets by the stores department of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC).
“During the two-day Assembly session, I brought to the notice of the government the irregularities in the purchase of Solapuri ‘chaddar’ and bedsheets by the civic stores department,” he said.
“The stores department had purchased Solapuri chaddar and bedsheets worth Rs 80 lakh. Bedsheets were purchased for Rs 429 each while chaddar was purchased for Rs 376 each. However, Solapuri chaddar is available for Rs 90 to Rs 132 and bedsheets for Rs 75 to Rs 100 in the market. Despite this, the PCMC purchased them at over triple the normal rate. The contractor has made more than Rs 60 lakh out of this deal. Instead of purchasing from Mahatakes, it was purchased through an agent. I had urged the PCMC commissioner to set up a probe in this matter,” he said.
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Jagtap said state Minister Eknath Shinde responded that the purchases were made as an emergency measure during the pandemic. “The minister said since commercial establishments and businesses were closed during the pandemic, the purchases had to be made on an emergency basis and from wherever available. They had to be purchased directly. He said the government had issued guidelines for the purchases and the PCMC had made the purchases as per the guidelines… But I am not happy with the minister’s reply.”
When asked why he has made a complaint against the PCMC, which is ruled by his party BJP, Jagtap said, “This is because the purchases were wrong. I have been demanding that the stores chief should be transferred… Earlier, there were irregularities in the purchase of masks. I have been telling the commissioner to transfer the stores chief, but the administration is not listening.”
Meanwhile, the civic standing committee on Wednesday decided to give 75 per cent concession in the rent amount for its auditoriums. The standing committee said since auditoriums and cinema theatres have been allowed to run only at 50 per cent capacity, the PCMC has decided to rent out auditoriums only at Rs 2,537 for one event on a particular day, which entails a concession of 75 per cent.