PUNE: Corporators from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have decided to divert budgetary funds allocated to development projects such as bicycle scheme, BRTS, development of parking lots and school grounds to ward-level minor development works. 

Corporators tabled the proposal before the Standing Committee to divert over Rs 10 crore to minor works. Now, it is interesting to see whether the civic administration objects to the proposal.

A few months ago, Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao directed all heads of departments to stop diversion of funds to the non-budgetary works, which have not been mentioned or planned in the PMC Budget 2019-20. However, after resistance from the corporators, he softened his stand on the issue.
 
Now, ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporators, along with the opposition corporators, have submitted the proposal to the Standing Committee to divert funds meant for kho-kho, volleyball, basketball, kabaddi ground, road safety works, comprehensive bicycle scheme, Solapur Road BRTS work, Taljai tunnel project, etc. The total amount is around Rs 12 crore.
 
All these works can be done spending local ward development funds. However, the corporators are insisting on using development project funds for minor works such as road, drainage lines repair and maintenance, renovation of traffic islands, renovation of study rooms, etc.
  
The Standing Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, in which the civic administration will clarify their stand. 

On February 27, 2019, the PMC Standing Committee budget amounting to Rs 6,765 crore was passed. The Standing Committee chairman had presented a budget of Rs 680 crore higher than the draft budget presented by Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao in February. Rao had presented a draft budget of Rs 6,085 crore.