A proposal to donate corporators’ honorariums to the Pune drought relief fund triggered a political dispute in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s general body meeting, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party saying all 126 of its corporators would contribute a year’s honorarium and opposition parties objecting to the process used to introduce the proposal.
The proposal was moved by BJP corporators Dhiraj Ghatge and Yogesh Mulik to support drought-affected farmers through the Chief Minister’s drought relief assistance fund. The report did not specify the total value of the proposed one-year honorariums or confirm that the full contribution had already been transferred.
The BJP’s initiative became contentious after Congress and Nationalist Congress Party corporators said the proposal should have been discussed with all party leaders before being placed before the general body. Their objection, as reported, was not to helping drought-affected farmers but to taking a decision that appeared to presume the consent of corporators from all parties.
Mayor Manjusha Nagpure was criticised for not holding an all-party group leaders’ meeting before the proposal was introduced. Congress corporator Arvind Shinde said prior consultation could have produced a broader decision supported by all parties. Opposition leader Nilesh Nikam also questioned the BJP’s authority to take a decision on behalf of every party and submitted a supplementary proposal during the discussion.
The reported positions differed by party. The BJP argued that the seriousness of the drought required taking the lead on assistance rather than opposing the proposal. The NCP said its corporators would contribute one month’s honorarium for drought relief. Congress group leader Ramchandra, also known as Chandusheth Kadam, accused the BJP of politicising the drought issue while stating that Congress stood with drought-affected farmers.
The debate also widened to municipal employees’ bonuses. Congress corporator Sunil Shinde raised the bonus issue while the drought-relief proposal was being discussed. Dhiraj Ghatge objected, saying it was inappropriate to raise the bonus question during a drought crisis. Deputy Mayor Parshuram Wadekar accused Congress corporators of opposing the drought relief fund, a charge the report attributes to him.
Separately, the municipal administration was asked to consider providing Rs 5 crore from the Pune Municipal Corporation for drought-affected farmers. The suggestion was made to Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram. The report does not state whether the proposed civic allocation received formal approval or identify the budget head from which such funding would be provided.
The proceedings also turned to Pune’s water-supply challenges. Mayor Nagpure directed that an all-party group leaders’ meeting be held at the civic headquarters on the 28th to discuss difficulties in ensuring equitable water supply to residents and possible measures to address them. The meeting is expected to review water-supply-related issues before further decisions are taken, according to the report.
