Pune Municipal Corporation Under Fire for Approving Contractor’s Bitumen Bill Before Probe Report Submission in Alleged Scam
Pune Municipal Corporation Under Fire for Approving Contractor’s Bitumen Bill Before Probe Report Submission in Alleged Scam
Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is facing criticism for approving a contractor’s bitumen purchase bill worth ₹2.41 crore for the Yerwada Hot Mix Plant, even before the submission of a probe report into an alleged scam. The approval was granted by the Standing Committee despite an ongoing investigation ordered by Municipal Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale, raising serious questions about transparency and haste.
The alleged bitumen scam came to light after former PMC House Leader Adv. Nilesh Nikam accused the corporation of irregularities and submitted related documents. He claimed that bitumen purchased once was supplied to both the PMC and the Public Works Department by the same contractor. Based on these allegations, Commissioner Bhosale ordered a departmental inquiry, assigning the probe to the Road Department. However, the report expected within 4–5 days is still pending.
Despite the investigation being incomplete, the PMC moved forward with approving the contractor’s bill. This decision has raised doubts among citizens and prompted demands to withhold payment until the inquiry is complete and findings are disclosed.
Notably, the PMC had decided to purchase bitumen directly from producers like Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum, without involving contractors, to ensure transparency. However, this bill pertains to material already supplied to the Yerwada plant before this policy change.
The Yerwada Hot Mix Plant, located in Jai Jawannagar, produces asphalt mixes for road repairs and resurfacing across 15 regional offices, especially during monsoon pothole repairs. Previously, essential materials such as Emulsion RS-1 and LDO were purchased directly without floating tenders. In this case, contractor Shivam Green Energy supplied VG-30 grade bitumen and submitted an invoice totaling ₹2.41 crore (plus GST), which PMC claims can be adjusted from the ₹40 crore allocated under the 2025–26 road works budget.
Adv. Nikam questioned why the PMC is rushing to clear the bill without awaiting the inquiry report. He reiterated that payments should only be made after confirming the authenticity of supplies and completing the investigation.
Under the state government’s 100-day program initiated by Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, road repair and maintenance were prioritized in the first phase. To avoid disruption of critical work such as pothole filling and resurfacing during the Mission 15 drive, bitumen was procured in exceptional circumstances. Shivam Green Energy submitted a letter expressing willingness to supply materials at tender rates.
Despite this, the timing of the bill approval—while an active investigation is still ongoing—has led to speculations of irregularities. The Road Department has yet to issue any official response. The situation may escalate into another controversy within the civic body.
