PCMC approves consultant for Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj statue project despite objections

Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) standing committee on Wednesday approved the appointment of a consultant for post-tender work related to the fourth phase of the under-construction Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj statue project in Moshi, despite objections raised by a Shiv Sena corporator over alleged irregularities in the project.The proposal was cleared during the standing committee meeting even as questions were raised about the need to appoint an external consultant at a time when the civic administration has been advocating austerity and restricting the engagement of consultants for municipal projects.Shiv Sena corporator and standing committee member Sulbha Ubale opposed the move, alleging that the same consultant had been entrusted with both pre-tender and post-tender responsibilities. According to her, such an arrangement raises concerns about transparency and independent scrutiny of the project.“If the same consultant is retained for post-tender work, any irregularities in the execution of the project may go unnoticed,” Ubale said.Ubale has repeatedly raised concerns about the project in previous meetings and had also opposed the release of Rs 50 crore for related works. In April, she wrote to deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde seeking a detailed probe into the project. Following the complaint, Shinde directed the municipal commissioner to examine the allegations and submit a report.“There was a gap of nearly Rs 5 crore between the rate analysis and the technical sanction granted for the project,” Ubale alleged.She further claimed that the tender process lacked fair competition and that certain work items and material rates appeared to be inflated, resulting in avoidable expenditure by the civic body.“Several provisions included in the tender were not required at the project site and may have been incorporated solely to increase the overall project cost,” she said.The consultant’s appointment has also drawn attention because PCMC commissioner Vijay Suryawanshi had earlier issued a circular advising departments against appointing new consultants unless absolutely necessary, in line with the Centre’s austerity measures.The project involves the construction of a 140-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in Moshi, which civic officials have described as one of the tallest statues of the Maratha ruler. The municipal corporation has already approved works under three phases, while the proposal related to the fourth phase was cleared on Wednesday.Standing committee chairman Abhishek Barne defended the decision, saying the proposal was limited to the appointment of a consultant for the fourth phase of the project.“The proposal was submitted by the civic administration. After examining the relevant details, the committee approved it. There is no irregularity in the appointment as alleged,” Barne said.