Pune: The ongoing budget meetings of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for the financial year 2025-26 are being held at the VIP Lounge of Vidhan Bhavan near Pune Station, instead of the PMC headquarters or its ward offices. This change has led to disruptions in municipal administration, as senior officials remain absent from the PMC office for extended periods.

Traditionally, the PMC budget is presented in February or early March, and the commissioner and department heads conduct internal discussions during this period. However, these meetings are usually held at the municipal headquarters or at the Ghole Road Ward Office, which was the preferred location for past commissioners to avoid disturbances from citizens, corporators, and political representatives.

After taking charge, Municipal Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale initially conducted the first budget meeting at Ghole Road, following the precedent set by his predecessors. However, subsequent meetings have been shifted to Vidhan Bhavan, raising questions about the reasons behind this decision.

One of the major concerns with this shift is that key officials and department heads are now away from the municipal headquarters for long hours, especially in the afternoon. Many officials leave the office for budget meetings at Vidhan Bhavan, leading to delays in decision-making and public service delivery.

Previously, when meetings were held at Ghole Road, the commissioner could closely monitor PMC’s daily operations. If needed, officials could be called to the meeting room and then sent back to resume their duties. This ensured minimum disruption to municipal administration. Now, with meetings taking place at Vidhan Bhavan, officials remain absent for extended periods, leading to delays in critical municipal work.

Administrative Vacancies Leading to More Absenteeism

The situation is further worsened by the fact that two additional commissioner posts in the PMC are currently vacant. As a result, if Commissioner Bhosale or Additional Commissioner Prithviraj B.P. step out for inspections or external meetings, other senior officials tend to leave as well.

This pattern is particularly noticeable after lunch hours, when visitors to the municipal office are often told, “Sir just left. He will be available only tomorrow morning.”