PMC standing panel okays 10% cut in capital works to cover virus expenses

Municipal commissioner said that according to estimates PMC will require Rs200 crore to Rs250 crore to cover the Covid-19 expense in the financial year.

The standing committee of Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) on Tuesday approved a 10 per cent cut in budgetary provision of all capital works proposed in the civic body budget. The fund will be diverted to works related to Covid-19 (coronavirus).

Door to door screening by the health staff of Pune Municipal Corporation at Dattawadi area in Pune. Civic chief said administration needs fund for taking various steps to execute the lockdown, provide medical facilities and food to patients, and cover the costs of Covid hospitals. (HT FILE)

Pune municipal commissioner Shekhar Gaikwad placed the proposal before the standing committee requesting the elected members to approve the cut in the overall capital works marked in the budget.

Gaikwad said, “When the civic body approved the budget, there was no Covid-19 situation. The civic administration is utilising fund in providing various health related facilities related to the virus. As per a primary estimate, PMC will require Rs200 to Rs250 crore to cover the Covid-19 expense in the financial year. Hence, the elected members need to raise fund for Covid-19 works.”

PMC standing committee chairperson Hemant Rasane said, “Standing committee has approved the proposal submitted by the municipal commissioner and agreed for a 10 per cent cut for all the capital works. It would be either road, drainage or any other department’s works.”

Rasane said, “The budget provision would not get cut from slum rehabilitation, welfare schemes of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, disabled persons and works carried out by regional ward offices.”

The commissioner said, “Right now the administration needs fund for taking various steps to execute the lockdown, provide medical facilities and food to patients, and cover the costs of Covid hospitals.”

The commissioner said that as the overall revenue of all government departments would be affected, the civic administration need to remain cautious while restarting any new project.

The central teams that visited Pune city recently had stated that the impact of Covid-19 would continue for more months and civic bodies should be prepared to manage its financial responsibilities.