The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) approved a ₹66 crore proposal for the processing of cloth waste, sparking controversy over transparency and the effectiveness of the city’s solid waste management strategies.
PMC’s 2025-26 budget, which has prioritised waste management, water supply, and infrastructure projects, has also raised concerns about the recycling of old, unsuccessful initiatives under new names. The civic body floated two tenders amounting to a total of ₹66 crore. These two tenders under scrutiny include ₹13.75 crore allocated for a textile and scrap processing plant, and another ₹53 crore for a decade-long repair and maintenance project approved under Section 72 of the Maharashtra Municipal Corporation Act (MMC Act).
With the growing population, the disposal and processing of garbage has become a major challenge. The PMC’s Solid Waste Management Department made a strategic plan for 2017–2025, aiming for 100% waste processing and circular economy practices, yet the issue remains unresolved.
The newly sanctioned ₹66 crore will fund a dedicated facility for processing cloth waste, aiming to convert it into Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) and, eventually, electricity. However, activists point out that similar projects have been introduced multiple times over the past decade, but they have failed to show results, as the city still struggles with garbage disposal.
BJP leaders and former corporators have raised serious concerns over the transparency and timing of the process. They wrote a letter to the municipal commissioner raising their concerns, which include a lack of competitive bidding, stating that only two companies – M/s Prithvi Solution and M/s Adarsh Bharat – submitted bids. Despite the minimum requirement of three bids, it is claimed that PMC allegedly did not reissue the tender.
Issues raised by the activists
Violation of CVC Guidelines: The procedure followed is reportedly against the Central Vigilance Commission's guidelines.
Cost Breakdown Discrepancies: Of the ₹13.75 crore textile project, ₹11.10 crore is earmarked for construction and only ₹3 crore for machinery, raising questions about the actual nature of the civil work proposed.
Lack of Transparency: No detailed breakdown of proposed machinery, its market rates, or architectural plans has been disclosed.
Approval & Feasibility: It remains unclear whether the civil construction budget was approved by the Building Construction Department or if they were consulted for feasibility.
Cost Concerns: The average annual tipping charges of ₹2 crore are considered disproportionately high.
Long-Term Financial Commitment: Issuing a 10-year contract in the absence of elected public representatives is being called undemocratic.
Ujwal Keskar (State Convenor, Urban Development Cell – BJP Maharashtra, and former Leader of Opposition), Suhas Kulkarni (former Leader of Opposition), and Prashant Badhe (former Corporator), have demanded that the PMC immediately suspend both tenders. They have also called for the immediate publication of all related documents on the PMC website and have stated their intention to escalate the matter to the state government if necessary.
“In the absence of a democratically elected body, such a massive financial commitment for 10 years is unacceptable. We request an immediate review and urge the Commissioner to place a stay on these tenders,” the letter states.
Vivek Velankar, civic activist, said, “The civic body every year is spending crores on managing waste but still the city is facing challenges. If the earlier projects were a big failure, then why is PMC coming up with similar projects or just changing the names of the projects? Why are failed projects being pushed? The municipal commissioner should investigate the matter.”
