The Pune Municipal Corporation has banned its officers and employees from accepting Diwali gifts, including sweets, dry fruits, hampers, vouchers and cash, and has directed security personnel to stop people carrying such items from entering civic premises. The instructions, issued with immediate effect, apply across the PMC’s main building, departmental offices, ward offices, sub-offices and other premises under its control.
City engineer Aniruddha Pawaskar issued the circular after videos circulated on social media showing gifts being distributed to civic officials and employees. The directive reminds staff that contractors, developers, architects, consultants, suppliers, citizens and organisations may offer gifts during the festival, but that accepting them can conflict with the impartiality, transparency, integrity and ethical conduct expected of public servants.
The PMC order specifically covers sweets, festive snacks, dry fruits, gift hampers, gift vouchers and cash. It also bars employees from accepting personal gifts from individuals or organisations, extending the restriction beyond high-value items to customary festive offerings that might otherwise be treated as informal or symbolic.
The circular cites Rule 12 of the Maharashtra Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1979, along with other service and conduct rules applicable to the civic body. The rules form the basis for the PMC’s instruction that officers and employees must not accept personal gifts connected to their official environment.
Under the new directions, the security department must prevent people carrying gift boxes from entering PMC office premises for distribution. Department heads have also been instructed to communicate the order to subordinate staff and ensure compliance within their respective offices and establishments.
The directive places the responsibility for enforcement at both the entry points and the departmental level. Security personnel are expected to intercept gift consignments before they reach employees, while department heads must ensure that staff are aware of the restrictions and follow them during office hours.
The order comes as the PMC handles interactions with contractors, developers, architects, consultants, suppliers and citizens across a range of civic functions. The circular does not identify individual cases of alleged misconduct, but states that employees who accept gifts in violation of the instructions will face disciplinary action under the applicable service and conduct rules.
By extending the prohibition to all PMC-controlled premises and to common festive items such as sweets and dry fruits, the civic body has adopted a broad interpretation of the gift restrictions. The instructions are to be implemented immediately, with compliance monitored through the security and departmental chain of the municipal administration.
