PCMC probe finds rules violated in 60 crore bill clearance

Pune: A preliminary report by an inquiry committee probing alleged financial irregularities in the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's (PCMC) accounts department has found that rules were violated in the clearance of bills for 14 projects worth Rs 60 crore in a single day—March 30 this year.The 243-page report, prepared by a committee headed by the additional commissioner, was submitted to the municipal commissioner on April 21. Sources within PCMC said the committee has sought an additional two weeks to examine whether similar practices were followed over the past three years, as directed when the probe was ordered on April 9.According to the report, provisions under Chapter 9 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act — specifically sections 84(2), 86, 87, and 103 — mandate approval from the standing committee or the general body for expenditures, fund reallocations or budget transfers. However, the committee observed that these procedures were not followed in the case of the 14 proposals under scrutiny.Following the controversy, the municipal commissioner placed the chief accounts officer on compulsory leave on April 11 after the issue was raised by the standing committee chairperson.The dispute centres on alleged alterations to the revised 2025–26 budget and the 2026–27 budget through supplementary notes bearing signatures of BJP and NCP corporators. It is alleged that the accounts department used these notes to clear contractors' bills.Standing committee chairman Abhishek Barne raised the issue, alleging large-scale irregularities and demanding legal action against the chief accounts officer. He also claimed that some corporators' signatures were either forged or obtained under false pretences, and stressed that such payments required approval from the standing committee or the general body.Barne said a brief report shared with him by the municipal commissioner supports his allegations. "While I have raised concerns against the chief accounts officer and finance director Pravin Jain, only state govt has the authority to take action. A final report is expected within 10 days, after which it will be sent to state govt with recommendations for further action," Barne said.Opposition parties, including NCP and Shiv Sena, have alleged that the bills cleared on March 30 were linked to senior leaders of the ruling party and their associates.Shiv Sena corporator and standing committee member Sulbha Ubale claimed the payments were made on instructions from senior politicians, while NCP corporator and standing committee member Sandip Waghere called for blacklisting the contractors involved and action against corporators whose signatures appeared on the proposals.Yogita Nagargoje, a BJP corporator and standing committee member whose signature appears on the sub-proposals, said she was informed the bills would be presented to the standing committee for approval and signed them on that basis. She claimed she was unaware that the documents were sent directly to the accounts department and said she had been misled.Attempts to contact municipal commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi through calls and messages went unanswered till the time of going to press.Earlier, chief accounts officer Pravin Jain told TOI that end-of-year bill clearances are routine to prevent allocated funds from lapsing, and maintained that the practice has been followed for years without irregularities.
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