PCB gets ₹19 crore from Centre to pay arrears, staff salary

After six months, Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has received a corpus fund of ₹19 crore from the Centre to pay its establishment costs and salaries of the staffers

After six months, Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has received a corpus fund of ₹19 crore from the Centre to pay its establishment costs and salaries of the staffers. The administration received the fund credit from the director general of the defence estates office a few days ago.

After six months, Pune Cantonment Board (PCB) has received a corpus fund of ₹19 crore from the Centre to pay its establishment costs and salaries of the staffers (HT FILE PHOTO)

Subrat Pal, PCB chief executive officer (CEO, confirmed that PCB has received the funds. “We will use the funds to pay the monthly salaries and also the arrears. The board has to foot a bill of an average of Rs7 crore as monthly salary to the staff,” he said.

PCB had not received any funds during a recent budgetary allocation given by the ministry of defence to different cantonments in the country, Pune Cantonment did not find a mention in the list prompting citizens to allege that the ministry was ignoring the development of Pune cantonment area and creating conditions wherein cantonment residents themselves will demand merger with the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

The board is facing a revenue deficit of over Rs700 crores and owes Rs550 crore as goods and services tax (GST) dues from the state government since 2017. Also, several infrastructure development works like road repairs, garden maintenance, payment of water bills, renovation projects and several other civic works have been affected due to lack of funds.

Amit More, youth leader, said, “PCB is getting funds for payment of salaries and their welfare but what about the welfare of the cantonment residents who are paying very high taxes? We have been demanding PCB to publicly declare the details of spending of Rs100 crores FD on the official website.”