11 of 15 schemes in proposed 5-year PMPML biz plan already in existence

Ernst & Young (E&Y), a multinational professional services firm, has prepared a five-year business plan for the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML), in which the company has proposed 15 schemes

PUNE: Eleven out of 15 proposed schemes in the 5 year business plan are the repetition of the existing schemes implemented by the PMPML

A business plan, created in 2015, had been rolled out with various changes year after year, however, former PMPML chairman and managing director (MD) Tukaram Mundhe termed it “non-workable” in 2017. (HT)

Ernst & Young (E&Y), a multinational professional services firm, has prepared a five-year business plan for the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Ltd (PMPML), in which the company has proposed 15 schemes.

Of these, 11 are already being implemented by the PMPML, i.e. before E&Y were hired to suggest the same.

Ajay Charthankar, PMPML’s joint managing director, says, “While the plan has been presented by the company, we are yet to approve it. The new business plan has a lot of new ideas which will be fruitful for the management of the department.”

When asked about the 11 schemes proposed by the company being a replication what is already in existence, Charthankar says, “It is true that a few schemes are inspired from what has already been initiated by us, however, there are a few improvisations proposed in the E&Y report as well.”

“The plan also focuses significantly on the operations of the newly inducted electric buses,” said Charthankar without elaborating the ideas proposed.

A business plan, created in 2015, had been rolled out with various changes year after year, however, former PMPML chairman and managing director (MD) Tukaram Mundhe termed it “non-workable” in 2017.

Even before the new plan by E&Y is implemented, elected representatives of opposition parties in the civic body are questioning the wisdom.

Congress leader Arvind Shinde says, “Schemes proposed by E&Y are nothing but a better way of presenting solutions already discussed within the department and the civic body. Majority of proposed initiatives are already known. Given these conditions, PMPML has only wasted money for making such a plan.”

According to Shinde, the civic body and the PMPML has often exhibited a pattern of taking such aid from private companies under the garb of “expert advice”.

“However, the truth is that we already know the solutions and still we want to waste the public money,” alleges Shinde.

PMPML chairperson Nayana Gunde says, “The plan has been presented to the PMPML board of directors, however, it has not been approved by us yet. The board will take the final decision after proper scrutiny.”

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