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Girls in civic schools in Pune yet to avail free sanitary napkin facility
The PMC is distributing sanitary napkins free for the girls every year. However, even as two months are left for the financial year to end, the civic body has been unable to complete the tendering process.
Girls at schools run by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have been deprived of free sanitary napkins since last one year as the civic body has failed to okay supplier due to politics over allotting the contract, alleged the Congress.
On Wednesday, the Congress jumped into the controversy alleging that due to political pressure, PMC has not been able to float tenders for sanitary napkins, which eventually could not be procured and distributed among girls from civic-run schools. The civic body has approved ₹1 crore for distributing napkins in 2023-24.
The PMC is distributing sanitary napkins free for the girls every year. However, even as two months are left for the financial year to end, the civic body has been unable to complete the tendering process.
Addressing a media meet, Congress city unit president Arvind Shinde said, “Due to interference from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Shiv Sena, the civic administration was not able to complete the tendering process. Even the administration has underlined this in a letter written to the municipal commissioner.”
Shinde blamed the MP from city, an MLA and other leaders for pressuring the municipal administration to issue the tender to specific agency.
“All are putting pressure to give tender for different agencies and, as a result of conflict, no contract could have been given,” he said.
The Opposition party demanded municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar and the state government to examine letters written for the tendering process by the civic administration.
The Opposition leaders also demanded CCTV footages of PMC meetings checked.
“It will reveal how these leaders are putting pressure on the administration,” said another Congress leader Sangeeta Tiwari.
Tiwari said, “The cost of the tender is around ₹1 crore. It is a very nominal amount for PMC. Instead of waiting for the directions, PMC should purchase sanitary napkins on market rate basis from any well-known agency and distribute them among the schoolgirls.”
BJP city unit president Dheeraj Ghate said that the allegation by the Congress are baseless. He said tendering is an administrative process and it is the responsibility of the civic body.