Mumbai: The Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was formed to probe the alleged financial misappropriations in BMC during Covid-19 period exposed by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), has sped up their inquiry process.
Everyday around 10-12 officers, including engineers, are going to the SIT office to co-operate with the probe. One Senior officer told FPJ that after getting summons from SIT, BMC officers were frightened. Even highly qualified doctors are being called for the inquiry, the officer added.
BMC top officials being called for inquiry
Officers of health, development plan (DP), solid waste management (SWM), bridges, roads improvement and IT department are being called everyday for the inquiry.
Engineers have neither complained nor put their grievances before the Nodal officer and Commissioner, they might have chosen to go with the engineers union, the officer added.
BMC succeeded in curbing Covid-19 spread
According to officers who are attending the inquiry, it is very painful for the doctors and officers to face the inquiry. They had put their lives on stake during the pandemic. Many employees had died while serving the citizens. BMC had succeeded to curb the Covid-19 spread in Mumbai. The civic agency had suppressed three waves of Covid-19. People didn't dare to touch anyone. There was panic everywhere.
Standing committee had given powers to BMC officers to allot work without inviting tenders because at that time no newspaper was published and distributed in houses.
On September 30 2022, CM Eknath Shinde had directed CAG to investigate all contracts and transactions in the BMC during the pandemic. The CAG submitted a report to the government, which DCM Devendra Fadnavis put forth in the state assembly in March this year.
The report alleged irregularities worth thousands of crores in several contracts given by the BMC during the pandemic.
