Probe against PCMC's deputy engineer for violating 2-child norm

PUNE: Pimpri Chinchwad municipal commissioner Shekhar Singh has ordered a departmental inquiry against a deputy engineer from the civil department for violating the state's two-child norm for govt employees.

According to the Maharashtra Civil Services (Declaration of Small Family) Rules, 2005, any govt officer having a third child after the cut-off date of March 28, 2006, is deemed ineligible for civil service.The deputy engineer had a third child in Dec 2008. He admitted it to the administration after he was asked for a clarification, a senior PCMC official said. Those terminated under the 2005 small family rule are not entitled to post-retirement benefits such as pension and gratuity.

"The departmental inquiry is likely to be completed within a month, after which appropriate action will be initiated as per the standard procedure followed in such matters," a PCMC official said. He added that the deputy engineer had joined as a junior engineer with the municipal corporation much before the year 2005.

According to the rules, the civic body would have to pass a resolution in the general body of PCMC meeting to dismiss the officer if he is found guilty.

The small family rule applies to all government employees from Group A to Group D categories. In the self-declaration letter submitted by these officers at the time of joining, it is mentioned that if the number of living children they have is more than two, and if any child is born on or after March 28, 2006, then the person will be considered ineligible for the post.This action follows the recent dismissal of an assistant commissioner rank officer, Shrinivas Dangat of PCMC, for a similar violation. Although Dangat later secured relief from the Bombay high court, which quashed the termination just two days before his retirement, the court made it clear in its Feb 26, 2025, order that the judgment should not be treated as a precedent and should not be cited by others seeking similar relief. The court stated that the case of the assistant commissioner was given 'quietus' (a discharge or release from an obligation, debt, or responsibility) and ordered the municipal corporation to take away Rs7.5 lakh from his gratuity amount as punishment, which the petitioner himself agreed to. Earlier this month, the municipal commissioner had also asked the officials concerned at the administration department to provide all post-retirement benefits to Dangat as per the high court's order.