Pardeshi admn goes for the jugular to ‘clean up’ PCMC

On Saturday, Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Commissioner Shrikar Pardeshi announced in the civic general body meeting that he would conduct an audit of the equipment purchased by various civic departments in the last eight years. The civic chief’s announcement, which has caused tremors among officials, came after allegations of a machine purchased at an exorbitantly high cost for YCM hospital surfaced last week.

Officials said many skeletons would tumble out of the closet if the PCMC administration kept its word of conducting the audit in all seriousness. “Not only officials, the audit would also expose office-bearers belonging to the ruling NCP,” said a senior official.

This is, however, not the first major step taken by the civic administration under Pardeshi that has sent shivers down the spine of officials, corporators, top politicians and even citizens.

In the last six months, the PCMC administration has flattened nearly 200 structures, including highrise buildings even in hitherto “untouched” areas like Pimpri Camp, that even brought the so-called powerful politicians to the streets as they staged dharnas outside the state Assembly. But nothing has worked, with FIRs being filed against 600 residents for raising illegal constructions.

The administration has effected inter-departmental transfer of as many as 300 employees, scaled down the school budget from Rs 108 crore to Rs 100 crore and taken possession of 150 files on which the standing committee was allegedly dragging its feet.

Last week,

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