PMC health scheme: Civic chief scraps tender process for appointing insurance body

PMC floated tenders in April, and health department officials confirmed that the municipal commissioner has scrapped the tender process

Pune municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar scraps the tendering process to appoint agent or insurance company for executing its health scheme. Civic employees were against the proposed plan.

PMC spent about Rs62 crore to cover its health scheme in the last financial year 2021-22, including Rs55.42 crore on employees, Rs3.85 crore on existing elected members and Rs3.39 crore on former members and their immediate relatives (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)

PMC executes a health scheme for its existing and retired employees, and elected members. As the expenditure on the scheme increases each year, PMC plans to appoint an agent or firm to execute a new insurance scheme instead of directly giving benefit to the staff.

PMC spent about Rs62 crore to cover its health scheme in the last financial year 2021-22, including Rs55.42 crore on employees, Rs3.85 crore on existing elected members and Rs3.39 crore on former members and their immediate relatives. PMC is paying the amount directly to hospitals. Now, the civic administration plans to appoint an insurance agent to help bring down the cost.

PMC floated tenders in April, and health department officials confirmed that the municipal commissioner has scrapped the tender process.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ujwal Keskar said, “The scheme was proposed by some political leaders supporting the Maha Vikas Agadhi, but as the government has changed, the civic chief has scrapped the process. We welcome the commissioner’s decision.”