Unused Donations of Rs 7 Crore for Covid Relief in Pune Remain Unspent: Sajag Nagarik Manch

Pune, 7th January 2025: Donations totaling Rs 7 crore, generously contributed by citizens and various companies to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic, remain largely unspent, according to Vivek Velankar, President of Sajag Nagarik Manch Pune.

These donations, collected in 2020 and 2021 to combat the Covid crisis, have not been utilized effectively, Velankar pointed out in a statement issued recently.

In March 2020, PMC appealed for public donations to aid in the fight against Covid-19. As a result, citizens and companies donated Rs 4.89 crore in the 2020-21 financial year and Rs 3.10 crore in 2021-22. However, Velankar revealed that the municipal corporation did not use any of these funds in the first year, and only Rs 1.30 crore was spent in 2021-22 on purchasing corona beds and oxygen supplies.

Currently, the PMC holds Rs 7.43 crore in its Covid CSR account, which includes Rs 70 lakh in interest accrued on the unspent donations. This has raised serious concerns among citizens and social activists regarding the lack of action from the municipal administration.

Velankar, voicing the frustrations of the public, stated, “Given the immense hardship faced by citizens during the Covid period, it is deeply concerning and even reprehensible that the Pune Municipal Corporation has not spent a single penny of the donated funds. It is troubling that neither we, nor the officials, have even considered whether people would be willing to donate in future crises. As the head of administration, the responsibility lies heavily on us.”

Velankar further revealed that in July 2023, he had sought information regarding the unspent funds, but it wasn’t until Monday, on Right to Information Day, that it became clear that not a single rupee had been spent in the last year and a half. He expressed his disappointment at the lack of urgency and action on the matter.

In his statement, Velankar demanded that the Pune Municipal Corporation use the available Rs 7.43 crore to procure necessary medical equipment and supplies for hospitals and clinics, urging the administration to provide facilities to the citizens of Pune who continue to face healthcare challenges.

“This money, donated in goodwill during a time of crisis, should now be used for the benefit of the people who were impacted the most. The PMC must step up and utilize these funds to ensure that medical facilities are improved for the needy citizens of Pune,” Velankar emphasized.

Municipal Commissioner Dr. Rajendra Bhosale said, “The bills for the work carried out by the Municipal Corporation during the Covid-19 period are still pending. Once a decision is made regarding their payment, the pending bills will be cleared using this fund. However, if the fund is utilized now, there will be no resources left to settle these bills. Additionally, whether this fund can be used for other purposes is yet to be decided. A final decision will be made after careful evaluation.”