Navi Mumbai: Panvel City Municipal Corporation Dismisses Contractual Staff for Social Media Reels and Surveillance Activities
Panvel, 4th February 2024: The Panvel City Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has taken disciplinary action by terminating the services of five contractual staffers employed through a manpower agency. The dismissal, executed last week, is attributed to their engagement in creating reels and sharing them on social media platforms, raising concerns about potential spying activities.
The individuals dismissed are Mahendra Thakur (private aide to the former deputy mayor), Ashwini Hajare, Sunita Naik, Sulochana Gadhire, and Amar Naik. Allegations suggest that some of the contractual workers were involved in monitoring activities, including tracking individuals visiting the head office, overseeing tender submissions, and accessing emails. Activists have voiced concerns about the potential misuse of confidential information by these dismissed staffers.
The dismissal decision was based on allegations that the individuals utilized office hours to create photographs and videos featuring the office setup and equipment, including computers. High-ranking PCMC officials, including Commissioner/Administrator Ganesh Deshmukh, became aware of the content produced by these individuals, prompting decisive action.
PCMC Deputy Municipal Commissioner Kailas Gawde confirmed the dismissals and clarified that these five agency staffers, initially posted in various departments at the PCMC head office, are currently deployed on deputation at the Panvel tehsil office for election-related duties.
