Despite the absence of a budgetary provision to pay off private security guards from the public exchequer, elected representatives of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have been pushing to divert Rs 18.60 crore to meet the expenditure of deputing some 500 security personnel in addition to the sanctioned 1,100. The appointment of more security personnel through private agencies was done by the civic administration citing increased need to protect civic infrastructure but the demand to meet the increased expenditure is being sought by corporators.
In February, the PMC had approved appointment of 1,100 private security guards for civic properties with permission to increase the number whenever required. “The civic administration has appointed 500 more security guards citing the previous resolution. Now, the security department has sought funds to meet the additional expenditure,” Kadam added. Congress leader Avinash Bagawe opposed the resolution saying that funds cannot be diverted for the purpose as there was no prior intimation on the appointment of additional security guards. “There is no transparency in the process and it was wrong to appoint additional guards without informing the committee,” he said, adding that this would set a wrong trend.
“The PMC accounts department too has raised objection over it and was supposed to submit an opinion rejecting the diversion of funds for the purpose, but the resolution was passed in haste,” Bagawe said, adding that he would challenge the decision in court if the PMC goes ahead with sanctioning Rs 18.60 crore for paying private security agencies. The money would go to the private security agencies and not the security guards, he said. Members of the committee said that the corporators were pushing for passing the resolution as most security guards provided by agencies are party workers or supporters of the corporators.
