Pune: Pune Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram has acknowledged serious inefficiencies in the civic body’s operations, especially concerning the handling of citizen complaints. He noted that outdated processes and lack of proactive action at the ward level are forcing residents to visit the main office for even minor services.
Although the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has a decentralised structure comprising a central office and several zonal offices, most complaints eventually end up at the headquarters. Ram, who recently took charge, revealed that over the past week he has personally met more than 1,000 citizens per day due to slow response at the local level.
He pointed out that assistant commissioners, despite having considerable authority, are not effectively using their powers to resolve grievances. Complaints about staff absences and lack of accountability at the ward level were also raised, creating unnecessary congestion at the central office.
Ram highlighted that garbage collection and street-cleaning processes also lack transparency. The city employs more than 3,000 sanitation workers through both municipal and private agencies. However, absence of signboards or public displays often make it unclear where these workers have been deployed. Despite guidelines to have workers present every 500 metres, several slums and interior areas still report large accumulations of uncollected garbage.
The commissioner assured that stricter monitoring mechanisms will be introduced to ensure that all employees contribute equally and that progress is more visible to the public.
The civic chief also noted that most complaints reaching his office revolve around personal grievances like encroachments and drainage, which often overshadow broader public infrastructure concerns.
Ram expressed concern that PMC’s outdated administrative practices and poor digital integration hamper efficiency. Unlike other municipal bodies that have embraced full online systems, Pune’s departments remain largely disconnected. Plans are now underway to digitally link all departments, compile a master list of ongoing projects across the city, and streamline project tracking to improve transparency and delivery rates.
Currently, around 30 to 40 civic works are in progress, all of which will be prioritized for faster completion under the new system.
