Pune Municipal Commissioner Cracks Down On Inefficiency; Engineer Transferred, Staff Suspended Amid Reforms

Pune, 24th July 2025: In a significant move towards internal administrative reform, Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram has shifted focus to internal accountability, initiating disciplinary actions against negligent officers and staff across departments.

The Commissioner has begun taking strict action against employees who continue to underperform despite repeated warnings. Last week, a staffer from the Sky Sign Department was suspended for providing misleading information regarding illegal advertisement hoardings in the Nagar Road–Vadgaon Sheri area. Another official from the same department was issued a show-cause notice demanding an explanation.

Ram has issued a clear warning that officers and staff who fail to resolve citizen complaints will not be spared. Owing to negligence at the ward office level, many citizens are forced to visit the PMC’s main building or even approach senior officials such as the Additional Commissioner and Commissioner himself to seek redressal.

To address this, instructions were issued to all department heads to take immediate action on complaints. However, due to continued apathy, action has now been taken against some of the responsible officials.

Most notably, Superintendent Engineer Santosh Tandle from the Drainage Department has been abruptly transferred to the Water Supply Department due to persistent inefficiency in his previous role. Despite clear instructions to resolve complaints swiftly and improve departmental functioning, no significant progress was observed.

The Drainage Department has long been one of the most complaint-ridden wings of the PMC, with issues being reported from various parts of the city. Commissioner Ram had earlier directed urgent reforms and follow-up actions in the department, but recurring negligence led to Tandle’s transfer.

At the time of his transfer, Tandle was in charge of maintenance and repair works in Zones 3, 4, and 5. Upon taking office, Commissioner Ram conducted a thorough review of the Drainage Department and found its performance unsatisfactory. Even after a personal inquiry, Tandle reportedly failed to provide satisfactory explanations.

This is not the first time Tandle has faced disciplinary action. In 2023, then-Commissioner Vikram Kumar had also taken action against him for failing to respond to notices, not sharing updates on water hyacinth removal works, and poor complaint handling in the department.