Prosecution of the corrupt is the right way of cleansing PMC -- BJP

Prosecution of the corrupt is the right way of cleansing PMC -- BJP
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

PUNE, JULY 6: BJP whip in the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) Vikas Mathkari on Wednesday asserted that identification and prosecution of corrupt officials and corporators was the right way to cleanse the PMC administration and not the dissolution of the House.

Reacting to the demand made by the Express Citizens' Forum (ECF) to the chief secretary of Maharashtra Arun Bongirwar for supersession of the civic body, Mathkari said that if the corrupt are exposed and prosecuted, the way it was done in Thane, the wayward would be aptly disciplined. Resorting to dissolution of the house would only amount is wasting public money. It would also be an unfair thing to do to sincere corporators. Besides, he pointed out there was every likelihood of the corrupt getting re-elected again in fresh elections, which would follow after dissolution of the House.

In a letter to the coordinator of the Forum, Mathkari argued that it would be unfair to several conscientious corporators who have been striving for better and clean civic administration, if the Forum chose to condemn all corporators in a generalised manner. Such generalisations coming from a highly respectable and matured forum of citizens like the ECF would unnecessarily hurt the corporators' feelings who otherwise were ready to fight against corruption alongwith the Forum.

However, he said, he could appreciate the indignation of the Forum against such harsh comments since admittedly there had been instances of irregularities and illegalities in the civic administration. Yet, instead of demanding ``an extremist and unjust'' action like supersession, the Forum should launch a powerful movement against the corrupt leading to their criminal prosecution. Identification and prosecution of the corrupt in the civic body here was possible, he insisted.

His party, he said, had always supported all efficient and upright commissioners and had now requested the present municipal commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad to fearlessly disclose the names of corporators and political bosses who were trying to pressurise him and and obstructing any administrative action initiated in the citizens' interest.

Mathkari, at the same time, endorsed the demand of the ECF that the government should forthwith publish the report by the then principal secretary in the urban development department Suresh Joshi on specific charges of maladministration made by the then municipal commissioner Arun Bhatia while asking the government to dissolve the house.