PMC 'helmet' under fire again

The controversy regarding Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) standing committee decision of purchasing expensive helmets for the Fire Brigade staff refuses to settle down. City NGO Sajag

Nagarik Manch has claimed that the market cost of the helmet model that PMC is purchasing is Rs16,400 whereas PMC is spending Rs29,400 each for the helmets. The municipal administration is

facing criticism after it moved a proposal of purchasing such expensive helmets for the fire brigade staff. The standing committee also went ahead and approved the proposal of Rs 89 lakh for

purchasing 300 such helmets for fire brigade staff. Sajag Nagarik Manch on Monday came up with the information stating that PMC was paying much higher price for the helmets than the actual

market price. Vishwas Sahasrabuddhe said, “PMC has plans of purchasing 300 helmets with one helmet costing Rs29,400. The model of helmet is ‘PAB HT 04’ and when we checked its market cost on

the internet, we found that the same helmet, including all the taxes and shipping charges, should cost Rs16,400 for Pune. PMC is paying Rs29,400, which means the municipal body is paying

Rs13,000 extra for per helmet. The corporation is already facing fund crunch, and it is spending Rs39 lakh unnecessarily.” Sahasrabuddhe also claimed that the municipal body does not need to

purchase a helmet of worth Rs16,400. “The shoes, hand gloves and fire resistant clothes that PMC is planning to buy for the fire fighting staff can sustain in fire of maximum 250 degrees.

If we want to buy a helmet which can sustain in a heat of 250 degree then the helmet of the same company with model name PAB COMPACTA costs Rs9,000. Why is the corporation going for an

expensive helmet? In fact the process of purchasing these helmets should be terminated and re-tendering should be done,” said Sahasrabuddhe. dna tried contacting standing committee chairman

Vishal Tambe, but he was not available for comment.