PCMC Abolishes Chief Engineer Posts, Creates Three City Engineer Positions
Pimpri, 30th July 2026: The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has approved a major restructuring of its engineering department by abolishing both Chief Engineer posts and replacing them with three City Engineer positions. The decision was taken during the General Body meeting through a supplementary proposal.
As part of the restructuring, promotions have been approved for two of the newly created City Engineer posts, while one position has been kept vacant.
The move comes after former City Engineer Makarand Nikam opted for voluntary retirement in February 2026, leaving the post vacant. Previously, the positions of City Engineer and Chief Engineer were considered equivalent in rank. The Chief Engineer posts had been created nearly four years ago.
At the time of the decision, Pramod Ombhase and Sanjay Kulkarni were serving as Chief Engineers. However, Kulkarni was suspended following the Moshi garbage depot incident and is currently under investigation.
During the General Body meeting, the ruling BJP introduced a supplementary proposal to amend the service recruitment rules. Under the revised structure, the existing posts of Chief Engineer-I and Chief Engineer-II have been abolished and replaced with City Engineer-I, City Engineer-II, and City Engineer-III, subject to approval by the State Government.
The civic body approved the promotion of Pramod Ombhase as City Engineer-I and Manoj Sethia, currently serving as Joint City Engineer, as City Engineer-III. The City Engineer-II post has been left vacant, prompting speculation within civic circles over its future appointment.
Officials said the administrative restructuring aims to streamline the engineering department’s hierarchy. However, the decision to keep one post vacant has sparked discussions within the municipal administration.
The meeting also witnessed questions over the handling of the supplementary proposal. As per municipal procedure, such proposals are required to be submitted to the Municipal Secretary. However, it was reported that the proposal remained with the Leader of the House until Tuesday afternoon. Municipal Secretary Mukesh Kolap clarified that the proposal had been kept there only for classification before being placed before the General Body.
The restructuring is expected to come into effect after receiving the necessary approval from the Maharashtra Government.
