PMC Corruption Story – Conversation With An Intellectual Supporter Of A Major Party

SUMMARY
I was transferred from the post of Divisional Commissioner, Pune, after starting corruption proceedings against 107 talathis and Circle Officers. In the Pune Corporation I prosecuted the reigning Chief Secretery for corruption in awarding road contracts, demolished illegal structures, brought transparency into the budget, diverted funds to water supply, hospital improvement and slums but was transferred out twice.

The first time I was transferred out after 7 days. But the citizens went to the High Court, defeated the government and brought me back. After a few weeks the Corporation voted against me and I was transferred out again. The government agreed with the Corporation and the citizens kept quiet.

Judgment in the High Court -

The Hon. Chief Justice, S. Radhakrishnan, on 13.4.1999, in Writ Petition 1395 of 1999 observed that “the decision to transfer Bhatia, in the facts of the present case, is so outrageous that it defies all logic and any moral standard. No reasonable person could have arrived at such a decision. We wish to emphasise that during the present days when, unfortunately, corruption and dishonesty are at their peak, honesty and action as per law deserve a pat, rather than punishment. The transfer of Bhatia, in our view, is in the nature of punishment".

CONVERSATION

Rana (name changed): “Arun, you lost a great chance to do something for Pune. Instead of dealing with corruption you should have concentrated on development.”

Arun: “That’s ridiculous. How can you achieve rapid development with such massive corruption. Corruption is not less than 30% which means we have lost 17 development budgets in 50 years of independence. This also applies to the PMC. Even the work which is actually done (like roads) will be far below standard and will deteriorate sooner than its expected life.”

Rana: “But you could have hung on longer instead of taking on the whole corporation. You should have handled one person at a time instead of being a bull in a china shop and creating an opposition that was too powerful for you to overcome.”

Arun: “When people realize their corruption is under attack, they combine and join ranks, whether your attack is directed at one or more, to protect their own corruption and that of their colleagues. Tell me why so many officers went on mass leave all together to paralyse the PMC including those, like the Accounts Officer, against whom no action was being taken.”

Rana: “Who supported you in the Corporation?”


Arun: “Mr. Ramesh Phondge (Publicity Officer), Dr, R.R.Pardeshi (Health Officer), Mr. Raste (Deputy Engineer), Mr. Mokashi (Deputy Accounts Officer), a large part of the class iii and iv staff whom I liberated from the clutches of the unions, the security staff and some others. Mr. Phondge has recently succeeded in having an enquiry started against one senior PMC official. But why do you ask?”

Rana: “Because it was said that officials working with you were under stress and felt harassed etc.”

Arun: “They could pin nothing else on me as an excuse to get rid of me so some officials and councilors combined to propagate this criticism which was digested even by educated people.”

Rana: “You precipitated your removal by lodging a police complaint against the Chief Secretary.”

Arun: “Documented evidence of corruption by Arun Bongiwar, the reigning Chief Secretary, in awarding road contracts was reported to me. So I lodged a police complaint. Should I have ignored this in a country where the powerful are seldom punished? Are punishments only for the clerks and constables?”

Rana: “What was the nature of PMC corruption you detected?”

Arun: “Making illegal appointments; doing work and making purchases without tenders; constructing roads below specifications and recording false measurements to support payments for these roads; wrongly assessing tax; illegally leasing PMC property for private commercial use; selectively removing encroachments; and so on.”

Rana: “What created the most trouble for you?”

Arun: “The attempt to prepare a people’s budget and bring transparency in PMC expenditure and the fact that people had begun to throng to my office with their complaints in preference to meeting councilors and PMC office bearers.”

Rana: “Arun, you should have been more practical.”

Arun: “I agree. I should have let the corruption carry on and continued “working” in the PMC for 3 years without achieving anything and without improving Pune like so many other good officers.”