Pimpri: Two senior medical officers from Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) hospitals have been penalized for negligence that enabled fraudulent honorarium bills to be issued under the names of non-working employees. PCMC Commissioner Shekhar Singh has directed the recovery of ₹500 each from their salaries as a disciplinary measure.

The penalized officers are Dr. Sunita Salve, head of Jijamata Hospital, and Dr. Sangeeta Tirumani, head of Talera Hospital. During their tenure, clerk Dattatraya Pardhi embezzled ₹20,74,600 over a period spanning September 2020 to March 2023. This embezzlement was uncovered during an audit.

Pardhi reportedly issued fraudulent honorarium bills while processing payments for contract employees at Jijamata Hospital. Payments were made under the names of individuals who were not actively employed, bypassing necessary documents like appointment orders and attendance records.

The Chief Auditor's special investigation confirmed significant discrepancies and financial losses for the municipal corporation due to this malpractice.

The administration had issued show-cause notices to Dr. Salve and Dr. Tirumani. However, their responses were deemed unsatisfactory. According to the commissioner's order, their negligence as hospital administrators created an environment that facilitated Pardhi's actions.

In response to these findings, Pardhi has been suspended, and a departmental inquiry is underway. Meanwhile, the municipal administration imposed a fine on the two senior officers as a one-time punitive action for their lapses in oversight.