Pune Municipal Corp in the dock again

Post the fiasco about the recently concluded career festival involving the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), civic activists have claimed to have unearthed another glaring example of administrative malpractice in the way the property tax bills are being distributed in the city.

It seems the civic body has not signed the official contract with IBN Technology of Bibvewadi, and the company was working with a draft of the contract. It may be noted that the company has been awarded the work of distribution of property tax bills.

Civic activists Sandeep Khardekar and Deepak Kulkarni on Monday wanted to inspect the files regarding the agreement between the PMC and the IBN Technology but they found that there is no such agreement and only a draft of work order is in
the file.

Khardekar said that on April 1, the civic body gave all property tax bills to the distribution agency and on April 24, a draft work order was issued to the agency.

There are around 7 lakh property tax payers and for distributing each bill, the agency is paid Rs3.97. Head of tax department, Villas Kanade said, “We had issued a tender for distribution of property tax bills. The tender and the work order specifically mention how the work should be done.’’ 

“It is true that the PMC has not signed any contract with the agency but if we find that the distribution company fails do its work, we will take action against it,’’ Kanade said.