PMRDA panel polls on hold over issue of who is footing the bill

With polls for the metropolitan committee of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) announced, the administration is puzzled about who is footing the bill

PUNE With elections for the metropolitan committee of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) announced, the administration is puzzled about who is to bear the cost of election.

With polls for the metropolitan committee of the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) announced, the administration is puzzled about who is footing the bill. (REUTERS (PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

Is it the district collector’s office, the divisional commissioner, or the PMRDA?

Given that there is no clarity on the finances, no date has been set for the election.

The collector first issued a letter to the divisional commissioner asking for guidance on the same.

Divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao handed the task to the PMRDA. PMRDA then wrote a letter to the state government seeking further guidance.

Officers from the collector’s office and the PMRDA confirmed these communcations, but chose not to speak on record.

PMRDA metropolitian commissioner Suhas Divase was not available for comment.

There are 30 seats on the PMRDA’s metropolitian committee. For these 30 seats, 108 candidates are in the fray.

PMRDA covers areas under the Pune, and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corpporations, apart from municipal councils and gram panchyats in Pune district.

The Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad municipal corporations themselves go to the polls in February 2022, so for the moment, it seems an impasse is the status quo for the PMRDA.