Budget estimates by Pune civic chief to be implemented: GR

The state government had issued a government resolution (GR) preventing outgoing general bodies of municipal corporations from taking any policy decisions or approving the budget.

This move has irked the city unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) because the party’s Ganesh Bidkar, who holds the post of standing committee chairman, will not be able to present the budget before the general body of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

The GR insists that the budget estimates prepared by the municipal commissioner should be implemented till the new body starts functioning.

The old general body and standing committee of the PMC are yet to complete their tenure though the new corporators have been elected. Until the new general body meets and the new standing committee is formed, the old bodies will continue to function. The present chairman of the standing committee wanted to present the budget, but the government has issued a GR stating that the old bodies cannot take any policy decisions or decisions concerning financial matters. The GR also stated that the budget of municipal commissioner should be implemented till the new body starts functioning.

At a press conference on Thursday, BJP city president Vikas Mathkari said it was unjust to disallow the standing committee to present the budget. The BJP has appealed to the municipal commissioner, Mahesh Pathak not to implement the GR.