Pune Diwali bonus payments for Pune Municipal Corporation and Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited employees have been delayed as the election Model Code of Conduct remains in force, leaving the civic administration to seek guidance on whether the regular annual payout can be approved before the festival.
The code, imposed for the Legislative Council election, is scheduled to remain in effect until October 31. With Diwali beginning on November 5, the administration has limited time to complete the proposal, secure the required approvals and release the money to employees before the festival.
The Pune civic body issues an annual ex gratia payment to its officers and employees around Diwali. Last year, employees received an amount calculated at 8.33 per cent of basic pay and dearness allowance, along with an additional payment of Rs 25,000. The circular for this year’s payment has not yet been issued, according to a report by Sakal – Pune.
The delay has left employees waiting for clarity on both the amount and the date on which the money will be credited. The payment is expected to support festival-related purchases, household expenses and other financial planning before Diwali. The administration will have to determine whether the annual payment can be processed as a routine decision during the election-code period or whether specific permission is required.
A proposal is expected to be prepared by the municipal administration and sent through the district collector to the divisional commissioner for approval, the report said. The next course of action will depend on the guidance received under the Model Code of Conduct. Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishor Ram, who has returned from a visit to Germany, is expected to discuss the issue with officials on Monday, October 12.
The proposed payment would cover approximately 18,000 Pune Municipal Corporation employees and impose an estimated burden of Rs 150 crore to Rs 175 crore on the civic treasury. The figure represents a significant annual personnel-related expenditure and makes the approval process relevant not only to employees but also to the municipal body’s financial administration.
PMPML employees are also expected to receive a payment of around Rs 20 crore. However, the decision cannot be taken at the standing committee meeting while the Legislative Council election code is in force, according to the report. This creates a separate administrative hurdle for the transport undertaking, whose employees are linked to the city’s public bus services.
“Since the Model Code of Conduct is in force, guidance will have to be sought on giving the Diwali bonus. The municipal commissioner will be consulted on Monday. There is generally a provision of around Rs 150 crore to Rs 175 crore for the bonus,” Ulka Kalaskar, the municipal corporation’s accounting and finance officer, was quoted as saying.
The immediate decision will centre on whether the annual payment qualifies for routine approval under the election rules or requires explicit permission from the Election Commission through the administrative chain. The municipal corporation is expected to finalise its next steps after the October 12 discussion.
