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PMC cancels plan to purchase new boats
The Pune civic body had decided to purchase rescue boats on priority during monsoon while allowing funds of ₹80 lakh to the PMC fire department
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has revoked the bidding process for procuring rescue boats that were to be procured for an emergency situation like excessive flooding in the city.
The Pune civic body had decided to purchase rescue boats on priority during monsoon while allowing funds of ₹80 lakh to the PMC fire department.
A senior official requesting anonymity, confirmed about cancelling the bidding process. “PMC has cancelled the existing tender process for purchasing boats. After getting guidance from municipal commissioner, civic body will take call on floating new tender,” the official stated.
As Pune city and western Maharashtra faced flood-like situation and waterlogging during the monsoon in the last four to five years, civic body had decided to procure boats.
PMC had made the provision of ₹1.6 crore for procuring the boats by using disaster management department funds. Municipal commissioner had given his approval to procure boats up to ₹80 lakh.
Currently, the Pune fire brigade department has two rubber boats, and PMC had decided to procure more. These rubber boats are frequently getting punctured. Thus, a demand for eight fibre boats was made for rescue operations during flood-like situations in the city.
However, sinch the monsoon period is over, the civic body has not been able to complete the procuring.
One of the senior officers requesting anonymity said, “As there were no specifications for purchasing the boats, there are various allegations. Even the bidders who participated made some allegations against each other. On this background, administration proposed to scrap the tender process. PMC can redo the tender process by fixing specification as there is enough time for next monsoon season.”
