Pune: Activist Alleges PMC Delaying Warje Multi-Specialty Hospital Project; Documents Withheld, Construction Yet To Begin | Anand Chaini
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has been recognised as the first municipal corporation in India to provide citizens access to its files every Monday from 3 PM to 5 PM.
However, recently when activists tried to get some information from the Health Department, they were denied access to some files, raising serious questions and accountability on PMC’s part.
Vivek Velankar, a civic activist, has alleged that the PMC’s Health Department is deliberately delaying access to crucial files related to the Warje Multi-Specialty Hospital Project. According to him, despite multiple attempts on February 3 and 17, he was not shown the required documents. Even after a month, significant information remains inaccessible.
On March 17, Velankar approached the PMC to inspect the files with an official named Sanjeev Wavare. However, apart from the contract copy, several key documents were missing when he tried to check the files related to the Warje Multi-Specialty Hospital.
Issues raised by activist
According to the contract, the Detailed Project Report (DPR) was to be submitted within 120 days. Since the contract was given in August 2023, the DPR was expected by December 2023. However, even in March 2025, the PMC Health Department is unable to produce it, leading to suspicions that it was never submitted.
Similarly, the contractor was supposed to provide a 5% bank guarantee within 180 days, but there is no evidence that this has been received by PMC. Furthermore, a monitoring committee was to be established for overseeing the project, but no details about its formation have been provided.
The activist also provided the most shocking aspect: construction has not even begun, despite the contract stating that the hospital should be completed within three years. It has already been one and a half years since the contract was approved. This delay is particularly concerning given that the Chief Minister and both Deputy Chief Ministers had performed the project’s Bhoomi Pujan before the Lok Sabha elections last year.
Velankar has urged the Pune Municipal Commissioner to immediately order the Health Department to disclose all relevant documents, including the DPR, bank guarantee details, and information about the monitoring committee.
With growing concerns over transparency, citizens are now questioning whether the Warje Multi-Specialty Hospital project is being intentionally stalled. Will the PMC administration step up and ensure public accountability?
