Pune, 17 April 2026: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is facing serious criticism after it failed to account for pending dues of over ₹404 crore from hoarding operators. The Chief Auditor has directly written to the Standing Committee, highlighting irregularities and lack of transparency in the functioning of the Sky Sign Department. Despite the seriousness of the issue, no firm action has been taken so far.
For the past few years, the department’s operations, both at the central and ward levels, have been under scrutiny for opaque processes and alleged mismanagement. While hoardings are expected to generate significant revenue for the civic body, the audit suggests that the benefits are instead accruing to private contractors and certain officials.
The audit report clearly states that more than ₹404 crore is recoverable from hoarding businesses. However, the department has failed to provide accurate data on how much has been collected and how much remains pending.
Even after being instructed to submit a recovery report within seven days by February 2026, officials have reportedly delayed sharing the information.
At the same time, the administration has neither effectively recovered dues nor taken strict action against illegal hoardings. In a recent move, the Standing Committee has approved a proposal to appoint an external agency to identify unauthorized hoardings across the city.
The tender process for this initiative has already begun, but the decision has raised questions, especially since the civic body already possesses partial data.
The issue of illegal hoardings has also taken a confusing turn. A few months ago, officials had reported fewer than 100 unauthorized hoardings. However, in the latest Standing Committee meeting, Deputy Commissioner Madhav Jagtap stated that the number could be between 1,000 and 1,500, raising concerns about discrepancies in official records.
Standing Committee Chairman Shrinath Bimale said, “The civic body can earn substantial revenue from hoardings. We have approved the appointment of an agency to identify illegal hoardings. Officials have informed us that there are around 1,000 to 1,500 such structures in the city.”