Pune: Corporators in Pune have come up with new idea to attract voters. After the State government banned plastic carry bags, these corporators have started distributing jute bags for free in their wards. 

After the ban, three corporators have demanded to purchase eco-friendly (jute) bags. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Rekha Tingre, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Farjana Ayub Shaikh and corporator Dhanraj Ghogare have submitted a proposal to the Standing Committee to purchase eco-friendly carry bags from their ward development funds. Each corporator has demanded Rs 10 lakh to purchase these jute bags.

Interestingly, earlier, there was a trend in the corporation to provide plastic containers for segregation of wet and dry garbage by the corporators through ward development funds. Corporators used to distribute the containers with their names on it. 

Suresh Jagtap, head of solid waste management department of corporation, said, “ We were providing containers to people. Now, corporations are not purchasing containers and very few corporators do it.”

Another senior PMC official said, “Corporators are demanding purchase of jute bags for the people in their wards. They are using their ward development funds for that. It is a new trend after distribution of plastic containers. Corporators are enthusiastic about purchasing jute bags from their local ward development funds.” 
Vivek Velankar, civic activist, said, “It is merely a publicity stunt by the corporators on taxpayers’ money. 
Corporators are mentioning their names on these jute bags to reach out to their homes. It needs to be stopped. It is not corporators’ duty to circulate jute bags. It is a wastage of public money. I also got a jute bag with mentioning local corporator name- Jayant Bhave in my ward.”

BJP corporator Jayant Bhave from Karve Nagar ward said, “It helps to reduce the usage of plastic bags. It is not a policy of the civic body. But, it serve the purpose of stopping use of plastic carry bags. Hence, we are giving jute bags to them.”