Hoarding Corruption in Pune’s PMC: Suspension, Pay Freeze After Cover-Up Busted
Pune, 17th July 2025: Cracking down on corruption within its ranks, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has suspended a license inspector and withheld the salary increment of another officer after they were found protecting illegal hoardings under the Nagar Road-Vadgaonsheri regional jurisdiction.
The disciplinary action follows a directive by newly appointed Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, who recently ordered a citywide audit of unauthorized hoardings as part of a broader drive to improve urban cleanliness and remove encroachments. The crackdown also signals the commissioner’s intent to cleanse the civic administration of inefficiency and corruption.
As per official sources, the Sky Sign Department and 15 regional ward offices were asked to submit written reports within seven days regarding the presence of illegal hoardings. However, license inspectors Vinod Landge and Rajendra Kewte from the Nagar Road-Vadgaonsheri tertiary office failed to provide the required documentation. Instead, they claimed — verbally — that there were no unauthorized hoardings in their jurisdiction.
Contradicting their claim, a parallel report submitted by the regional office identified seven illegal hoardings. Further investigation by specially deployed PMC personnel revealed as many as 35 unauthorized hoardings in the same area — five times the number reported.
The civic administration took serious note of the discrepancies and sought written explanations from both officials. Their replies were deemed misleading.
As a result, Inspector Vinod Landge has been suspended from service, while Rajendra Kewte will face a freeze on one of his salary increments, municipal officials confirmed.
The action is being seen as a warning to other officials who may be complicit in allowing illegal structures to thrive across the city. The PMC has intensified efforts to identify and remove unauthorized hoardings as part of its beautification and anti-encroachment initiatives.
