The standing committee of the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation has demanded a special meeting with civic officials to review the progress in implementation of civic budget 2011-12 to speed up developmental works in the run-up to the municipal elections.

Suman Pawale, chairperson, standing committee said, "The municipal elections are to be held in February 2012 and the election code of conduct is likely to come into force after a month. As a result the standing committee demanded that the municipal commissioner arrange a meeting with civic officials to review progress of implementation of the budget."

Members wanted to know the amount of budgetary funds utilised by the civic body for developmental projects till now and what the civic officials will do if the budgetary allocation for any project was insufficient.

Babu Nair, Congress corporator and member of standing committee said, "The members feel that only 20% of the allocated funds have been used till now. People are complaining about lack of new developmental works in their wards and slowing down of ongoing projects. Members have expressed concern about the slow speed of budgetary fund utilisation. We want the civic administration to utilise all the budgetary allocation and speed up developmental works."

Nair stated that the members wanted the civic administration to ensure that work on all the projects approved in the annual budget of 2011-12 begin before the election code of conduct comes into force. "We have demanded a special meeting with the municipal commissioner, senior civic officials and the executive engineers of engineering, water supply, drainage and electrical departments to review implementation of the projects approved in this year's budget and to devise a strategy to start work on approved developmental works before the election code of conduct," he said.

Earlier a short notice resolution for replacing old water pipelines in Vallabhnagar area at an expenditure of Rs 93.37 lakh was approved. Twelve short notice resolutions involving an expenditure of Rs 1.08 crore for installing electrical fittings, shifting of electricity poles, repair and maintenance works, renovation of streetlights and other projects of civic electrical department were approved at the meeting. Developmental projects with a total expenditure of Rs 3.70 crore were approved at the meeting held on Tuesday.