The Times of India 05.09.2012
Pune Municipal Corporation rolls back health benefit scheme for ex-corporators
PUNE: Over a fortnight after the standing committee of the Pune Municipal Corporation
(PMC) approved a proposal to bear all the medical expenses of former
corporators and their wives, the committee, on Tuesday, rolled back the
decision and withdrew the proposal.
According to the municipal
health scheme, a former corporator gets 50% of the medical or
hospitalization bills reimbursed from the civic body while the married
partner is not entitled to any benefit. The women and child welfare
committee of the civic body had recently approved the proposal for
former corporators and their wives to be given 100% medical benefits, as
enjoyed by sitting corporators. The standing committee had given the
go-ahead at a meeting on August 14.
“The committee had earlier
approved the proposal. But on Tuesday some elected members had second
thoughts. We had a detailed discussion and then withdrew the proposal,”
Baburao Chandere, chairman of the committee, told reporters after the
meeting.
Every year, the civic body allocates about Rs 10 crore
for health schemes for sitting and former corporators and current and
former civic employees. Last year, the civic administration had to
divert funds from the health scheme for below poverty line people to
bear the cost of treatment of corporators and employees.
In
another decision, the committee approved the procurement of 15 dog vans
for the city. Each ward office will have one for use by the ward and
NGOs.
Wrestling match gets funds
The
standing committee has sanctioned Rs 3 lakh for the wrestling
competition organised by a corporator on September 22. “The corporator
had tabled a proposal and the committee approved the demand,” said
Baburao Chandere. The committee approved the proposal as the competition
was named after a veteran state wrestler, he added. A senior PMC
official said the approval was against the rules. “The civic
administration should not fund such events. If the competition is
organised using the PMC’s funds, a proper tender process should be
followed. The approval is illegal,” he said.