India, June 30 -- Rampant absenteeism and poor service delivery across the 15 regional ward offices of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) have triggered outrage, with citizens accusing the administration of negligence and lack of accountability.

These ward offices-tasked with delivering essential civic services and addressing public grievances-are often found understaffed during official working hours.

A petition submitted by a citizens' forum to the state government on June 26 alleges that senior officials are being misled through falsified attendance registers and manipulation of biometric systems. It also accuses PMC staff of collusion to preserve a dysfunctional work culture at the cost of public service.

PMC offices officially o...