Rs 51 lakh PMC donation to lit meet illegal: activists

RTI activists and corporators allege civic body bent law to make large donation to Marathi literary meet

A Fresh controversy has broken out soon after the conclusion of the Marathi literary meet in the city. This time it is about an alleged illegal donation made by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC).

According to allegations made by various parties, RTI activists and corporators, the donation of Rs 51 lakh by the PMC to the literary meet was against the law.

Mukta Tilak, PMC's leader of opposition, said that a provision of the Bombay Provisional Municipal Corporations Act (BPMC), 1949, was not followed in this act of charity.

"According to the Article 68, any donation of more than Rs 3 lakh requires prior approval of the state government. However, in this case, the donation was made without any approval. When we pointed it out, we were told that it is possible to do so if the corporation is convinced that the state wouldn't refuse such a suggestion," said Tilak.

Another corporator, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a clause was added to the donation proposal to make it look all right.

"According to what we learnt, the corporation has claimed to be a co-sponsor or organiser of the event and given the amount. But this isn't true because PMC had no part in organising the event," he said.

R R Phunge, who works with Grahak Panchayat and is an RTI activist, said that he had drafted a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, senior officials in the urban development department and municipal commissioner Mahesh Zagade questioning the donation.

He said, "The donation is against the BPMC Act.

The civic body isn't entitled to provide donation of such amount for public functions and entertainment programmes like these. They are not entitled to give more than Rs 3 lakh as this is taxpayer money."