Pune, 7th February 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation has suffered a major setback after the Bombay High Court ordered the cancellation of promotions granted to Executive Engineers to the post of Superintendent Engineer.
The court observed that the civic administration followed an incorrect procedure while granting promotions, resulting in injustice to several senior engineers.
The dispute arose when a proposal to promote 15 Executive Engineers was placed before the General Administration Department. Some engineers objected, stating that despite seniority, they were being unfairly sidelined.
Although their complaints were heard, no corrections were made to the seniority list. Subsequently, the Departmental Promotion Committee approved promotions for four engineers, which were later ratified in the general body meeting.
Aggrieved by this decision, five engineers approached the High Court, arguing that rules were wrongly applied and promotions were granted arbitrarily. The court accepted their plea and ordered that the promotions given to the four engineers be cancelled.
The judgment noted that the PMC had repeatedly made errors in promotion procedures since 2019, despite receiving multiple complaints.
With the promotion dispute ongoing since 2024 and rules being misinterpreted, the court’s ruling has now forced the administration to restart the process. The PMC will have to reassess eligibility and grant promotions strictly as per service seniority and rules.
Following the verdict, the atmosphere within the civic body has turned cautious. Promotion disputes among engineers have been echoing within the PMC for the past six months, but after the court’s decision against the administration, officials have chosen to remain silent.
As one senior officer put it, the judgment has made everyone wary of getting involved in such controversies again.