Financial crunch hits garden maintenance work in PCB

Earlier over fifty persons had been deployed for the maintenance of the gardens but currently, the work was being done by four to five persons

The severe financial crunch of Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has hit hard the maintenance of its 40 public gardens for the past few years ever since Local Body Tax (LBT) collection was discontinued in the cantonment area.

At least 40 gardens in PCB are neglected due to financial crunch faced by the board. (Rahul Raut/HT PHOTO)

Earlier over fifty persons had been deployed for the maintenance of the gardens but currently, the work was being done by four to five persons.

Jayant Kangane, PCB garden superintendent, said, “Currently, are facing shortage of staff.We had appealed to the corporate and only two of them have come forward towards upkeep and maintenance of the gardens. Earlier it were the contractors who had the responsibility of the gardens and now since they have been discontinued we are facing an uphill task for the past three years.”

Sanjay Shinde, social activist, said, “Currently, most of the public gardens in civil areas of Pune cantonment area are neglected with no upkeep and maintenance being done due to lack of funds. Also, it is time that the cantonment area is merged with the PMC failing which the PCB civil area will slowly transform itself into an urban slum with no end to its civic problems.”

With the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime coming into place, the PCB owes arrears of over ₹500 crores from the state government and despite sustained efforts and follow-up with the state and central governments, the administration is yet to receive the amount from the state exchequer which has been pending for four years.

In 2019, due to a shortage of funds, the then board administration had not renewed contracts with private agencies for maintaining the gardens. The private firms were hired and made responsible for cleaning work, garbage collection, trimming tree branches and carrying out infrastructure work and assisting the garden department in vigilance, maintenance and security of the cantonment properties. Taking into account the precarious financial condition the then PCB president Major General Navneet Kumar suggested that the board administration must move a proposal where the upkeep and maintenance of public gardens must be handed over to private companies on an adoption basis for their protection and conservation.

Cantonment residents and civil society members point to garbage dumping, binge drinking, street urchins and squatters occupying garden spaces of Pune cantonment due to a lack of proper security and vigilance.

Some months ago, over a hundred liquor bottles were found in Rani Laxmibai Garden and JJ garden putting serious question marks on their upkeep and security.