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PCMC’s ₹50,000 fuel allowance proposal draws criticism amid calls for fuel conservation
The proposal, approved by the standing committee on March 1, has now been placed before the general body for final approval at its meeting scheduled on May 15
A proposal approved by the standing committee of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) to grant a monthly fuel allowance of ₹50,000 to office-bearers and senior officials has sparked criticism over the civic body’s spending priorities at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed for fuel conservation and reduction in unnecessary travel.
The proposal, approved by the standing committee on March 1, has now been placed before the general body for final approval at its meeting scheduled on May 15.
Critics argued that a monthly fuel allowance of ₹50,000 would cover nearly 450 to 500 litres of fuel. Based on average vehicle mileage, this could translate into travel of around 9,000 to 10,000 kilometres every month, or nearly 300 kilometres daily.
They questioned whether officials genuinely require such extensive daily travel for official duties and raised concerns over the burden on public funds.
“The corporation claims it is facing a financial crunch and keeps increasing taxes, water charges and penalties on citizens. But when it comes to perks for officials and office-bearers, there seems to be no hesitation,” said Ravindra Jadhav, a resident of Chinchwad.
The existing allowance, approved in 2017, stood at ₹39,560 for petrol vehicles and ₹36,560 for diesel vehicles.
Standing Committee chairman Abhishek Barne said the proposal was intended to reduce overall expenditure rather than increase it.
“At present, the civic body spends more than ₹1 lakh on official vehicles for office-bearers and officials, including fuel, maintenance and drivers’ salaries. Under the new proposal, they will instead receive a fixed allowance of ₹50,000 and manage their own travel and office visits. We are also encouraging the use of public transport and personal vehicles wherever possible,” Barne said.
Civic activist Vijay Kumbhar strongly criticised the proposal, alleging that the administration was burdening citizens while enhancing benefits for officials.
“The corporation repeatedly says it is under financial stress and imposes higher taxes, water charges and penalties on citizens. Yet, when it comes to spending crores on perks for officials and office-bearers, there appears to be no restraint. Even the 2017 allowance was excessive. Increasing it to ₹50,000 is crossing all limits,” Kumbhar said.
He added that what is even more concerning is that not a single official or office-bearer has objected to this decision or raised concerns about public money. “The municipal commissioner has both the authority and responsibility to scrutinise such resolutions, but no commissioner has opposed this extravagance so far,” Kumbhar said.
A senior civic official, requesting anonymity, defended the proposal, saying the allowance was necessary due to extensive official travel for inspections, meetings and emergency work across the city.
“Office-bearers and senior officials are required to travel daily for civic inspections, project reviews and administrative coordination. The revised allowance has been proposed considering rising fuel prices and operational requirements,” the official said.
