Pune: PMC Overrules Standing Committee, Cuts Sweeping Contractors' Extension To Three Months

In Pune, the civic administration has shortened the one-year extension granted to road-sweeping contractors by the Standing Committee, to just three months. The decision to cut the extension came despite the committee's recommendation to extend it for a full year. The administration plans to launch a new tender process for sweeping services across 15 ward offices, with the new contractors set to start on February 1, 2027.

The Standing Committee had backed the one-year extension following a resolution moved by corporators Dada Kande and Sandeep Beldare. However, the civic administration chose to implement only a three-month extension, from November 1 to January 31, instead of fully approving the committee's resolution. The move follows a revised sweeping policy introduced by the administration from August 1 to October 31, 2026, intended to enhance road cleanliness and contractor accountability.

Under this new system, contractors were responsible for sweeping roads, footpaths, and public spaces, with penalties and blacklisting for poor performance. More than 9,000 contractual workers were employed under the experimental policy, which reportedly boosted daily garbage collection by around 200 metric tonnes and reduced citizen complaints about cleanliness.

The Standing Committee had proposed extending the arrangement for another year after the trial period ended on October 31. However, the Municipal Commissioner, Naval Kishore Ram, and Additional Municipal Commissioner, Pravin Nair, confirmed that the administration would only grant a three-month extension. The civic administration has also proposed changes to the sweeping policy, including mandatory biometric attendance for workers, increased penalties for contractors, and determining the workforce required for each ward office. The environmental supervision charges have been replaced with a different payment arrangement.