PUNE, 5 NOV. Despite the announcement of local self-government body elections across the state, the Code of Conduct will not be applicable to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) yet. This clarification means that development works, projects, and tendering processes will continue as before in the city.

On Tuesday, the State Election Commission announced the schedule for municipal council (Nagar Parishad) and city council (Nagar Panchayat) elections, but made no announcement regarding municipal corporation elections. PMC Commissioner Nawal Kishore Ram clarified that since no notification has been issued specifically for the Pune Municipal Corporation, the Model Code of Conduct will not be enforced in the city.

This means that various development works, project approvals, tendering processes, and routine administrative decisions within the PMC will not be restricted by the Code of Conduct.

The Commissioner confirmed the status after directly contacting the State Secretary, thus putting an end to earlier speculations that the Code of Conduct would be immediately enforced in Pune. The Commissioner stated that all administrative and developmental works, including river rejuvenation projects, infrastructure, solid waste management, and property tax collection, can proceed without restrictions until a notification is issued for the PMC elections. Furthermore, the administration will get more time to study the proposal for implementing the Abhay Yojana (Amnesty Scheme) for property tax defaulters. The Commissioner's clarification has brought significant relief to both the administration and the citizens, paving the way for development works to be completed on schedule.

000