Pimpri-Chinchwad building permit dept faces graft charges, Fadnavis orders probe

Officials of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation's building permission department have been accused of financial irregularities and corruption. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered the municipal commissioner to investigate the matter. Following the chief minister's order, the commissioner issued a show-cause notice to the executive engineer concerned.

According to information received, BJP corporator Tushar Hinge had complained directly to Chief Minister Fadnavis about the functioning of the joint city engineer and the executive engineer in the building department. In his complaint, Hinge alleged that the officers concerned have been posted in the building permission department for several years and are misusing their powers to financially exploit citizens.

The complaint also alleged that the building department deliberately finds technical hurdles, shortcomings and errors in files submitted for approval in order to delay the process. It said that changing the original map or access route of land meant for development projects, citing approved reservations, and creating legal obstacles in documents are among the methods being used to harass citizens mentally and financially. Taking cognisance of the complaint, the chief minister ordered an inquiry, after which the municipal commissioner issued the show-cause notice to the officer concerned.

Around the same time, the responsibilities of the city engineer and chief engineers at the corporation have also been reshuffled. City engineer Manoj Sethiya has been given charge of five departments, including water supply and building permission, while chief engineer Pramod Ombhase has been given charge of the key civil works department along with several water projects. The order was issued by municipal commissioner Vijay Suryavanshi.

Sethiya was recently appointed city engineer. Ombhase had been given additional charge of the environment department after its chief engineer, Sanjay Kulkarni, was suspended, which is why the commissioner carried out the reshuffle.

Sethiya will now hold water supply, building permission, urban traffic, drainage and slum rehabilitation departments. He has also been given responsibility for special projects including the biodiversity park at Talawade, the Bahinabai Chaudhari zoo at Sambhajinagar, the badminton court at Wakad, Mata Ramai Srushti at Pimpri Chowk, and Madanlal Dhingra ground under the authority.

Chief engineer Pramod Ombhase will hold the civil works, civil works projects, gardens and sports, and environmental engineering departments. Key projects including Bhama-Askhed, the Andra water scheme, the Pavana closed pipeline and the water purification centre at Nigdi sector 23 will also be his responsibility.

Joint city engineer Prerna Sinkar has had the drainage department removed from her charge and has instead been given responsibility for building permission and unauthorised construction. Joint city engineer Vinay Ohol retains the drainage department and has additionally been given charge of environmental engineering. Executive engineer Sandhya Wagh has been promoted to joint city engineer and given charge of the civil works projects department.

Transfers of regional officers have also taken place. The corporation's regional officer for the 'H' zone, Pooja Dudhnale, has been transferred to the post of administrative officer in the land and estate department, and has also been given additional charge as administrative officer of the medical department. Meanwhile, Santosh Korad has been given additional charge of the 'H' zone regional officer's post.