Govt set up panel to review decision on terminating 603 PMC employees

The Maharashtra government has formed a committee to review the termination of 603 employees of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) after finding they were appointed under bogus recruitment. The committee, headed by the divisional commissioner, will conduct a detailed study of the employees.

The Maharashtra government has now constituted a committee headed by divisional commissioner to review the decision to terminate 603 employees of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), said officials on Monday.

After the merger of 23 villages into PMC limits in 2021, employees working in the villages were transferred to PMC. (REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE)

After the merger of 23 villages into PMC limits in 2021, employees working in the villages were transferred to PMC. When the civic body ran a background and security check on these employees, it was found that they were appointed after the state government’s notification to merge these villages in the PMC.

When the PMC raises the issue, the committee constituted by Pune ZIlla Parishad and then Pune ZP chief executive officer Ayush Prasad gave a report to the PMC that the employees were appointed under bogus recruitment. PMC had then suspended these employees, and a complaint had been filed with the state government. This week, the government decided to revisit the issue with another committee.

PMC commissioner Vikram Kumar said, “The state government has now constituted a committee headed by the divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao. Two other officers will be part of it and the committee will carry out a detailed study about these 603 employees.”

Another senior officer from PMC requesting anonymity said, “As the state government has announced to set up a committee for rethinking these 603 employees, it is very clear that there has been some movement to reinduct these employees.”

In the report, it was found that the local gram pachyats became aware that 23 villages will be merged with PMC and they recruited additional staff to get more salaries. It was confirmed bogus recruitment was done.

In December 2020, the state government had issued a draft notification for the merger of 23 villages into PMC limits, after which major recruitments were carried out in the gram panchayats of most of the 20 villages. According to ZP probe, 603 persons were recruited just before these gram panchayats became part of Pune PMC.

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23 villages merged with PMC in 2021

Mhalunge, Sus, Bavdhan Budruk, Kirkatwadi, Pisoli, Kondhwe-Dhawade, New Kopre, Nanded, Khadakwasla, Manjari Budruk, Narhe, Mantarwadi, Holkarwadi, Autade-Handewadi, Wadachiwadi, Shewalewadi, Nandoshi , Mangdewadi , Bhilarewadi, Gujar Nimbalkarwadi, Jambhulwadi, Kolewadi and Wagholi.

11 villages merged with PMC in 2017

Lohegaon, Mundhwa, Hadapsar, Uttamnagar, Shivane, Ambegaon Khurd, Undri, Dhayari, Ambegaon Budhruk, Phursungi and Urli Devachi.