PUNE: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) on Saturday issued a gazette notification announcing general elections across 57 cantonment boards in the country on April 30. Two cantonment boards-Pune and Khadki are scheduled to go to polls on the said date.
The announcement of elections comes at a time when the Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) is experiencing the worst financial crisis in its history, raising serious doubts about its continued existence.
The board’s five-year term, which included two extensions, expired on February 10, 2021, with no provision for a third extension.
Following that, the MOD appointed a nominated member to assist the administration in carrying out their responsibilities to citizens. With a deficit in excess of ₹500 crores, infrastructure in shambles, orders prohibiting the collection of Vehicle Entry Tax (VET), and exponential illegal constructions, both residents and former elected members believe the board faces a bleak future and that holding elections serves no purpose.
Despite having a BJP government both at the centre and in the state, the board administration is yet to receive its GST dues from the state government following the repeal of the Local Body Tax (LBT).
The matter was discussed at the highest level, with officials from Southern Command, the Central Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Defence, the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, the Director General of Defence Estates (DGDE) office, as well as Members of Parliament and Cantonment MLAs, but to no avail, as the dues remain pending with the government with no solution in sight.
{{/usCountry}}The matter was discussed at the highest level, with officials from Southern Command, the Central Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Defence, the Chief Secretary of Maharashtra, the Director General of Defence Estates (DGDE) office, as well as Members of Parliament and Cantonment MLAs, but to no avail, as the dues remain pending with the government with no solution in sight.
{{/usCountry}}The area under its jurisdiction is plagued by crumbling infrastructure issues such as unrepaired roads, a lack of funds for the restoration of Fashion Street and Chhatrapati Shivaji Market, a lack of manpower, a lack of funds for hospital infrastructure upgrades, a lack of budgetary allocation for repairing electric crematoriums, a lack of funds for the construction of multi-level parking, and a lack of funds for maintaining existing civic infrastructure.
To maintain public infrastructure, the PCB has always relied on donations from philanthropists and private social organisations.
Commenting on the issue, advocate Netraprakash Bhog, a senior civic rights activist said, “It is a complete breakdown of administrative machinery in the area as there are no funds for the maintenance of the roads and other essential public infrastructure.”
He further added that hawkers are occupying all the roads and traders are facing a severe threat from the hawkers.
“The entire area resembles to be a chaos and hub of corruption and illegality. With no funds, the administration has conveniently shirked away its responsibility,” Bhog said.
Cantonment worker Rajabhau Chavan said, “It’s good that elections have been announced but it will be of no use if the elected representatives have no funds to spend money on infrastructure development. The Cantonment area has been purposefully neglected, and its general accounts show a negative deficit, which is cause for concern. It is past time for the Ministry of Defense to step in and sanction a significant sum for the development of civic infrastructure, which has taken a beating since 2017.”
PCB nominated member Sachin Mathurwala said there is a severe fund deficit at the cantonment board, and without money from the centre, development of the area cannot take place
“What is the point if the newly elected members lack the resources to invest in civic infrastructure? Citizens are also upset that their basic needs have been neglected for several years,” he noted.