Civic Negligence Kills Again, Officials Suspended – RTI Exposes BMC’s 537 Pending Enquiries Against 1,523 Employees

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) swiftly suspended officials following the tragic death of a schoolboy in a recent tree collapse in Chembur and also after a man fell into a manhole on Thursday at Saki Naka.

While the prompt suspensions has been projected as evidence of accountability, official records obtained under the Right to Information (RTI) Act paint a far more troubling picture of the civic body's disciplinary machinery.

This critical data was brought to light through my persistent efforts.

I originally filed the RTI application in 2021 seeking details of pending departmental enquiries. The BMC initially refused to provide the information. Subsequently, in 2025, the Maharashtra State Information Commission ordered the BMC to disclose the details, leading to the release of the latest report as on April 30, 2026.

The report reveals that the corporation has 537 pending departmental enquiries involving 1,523 officers and employees. Out of which 189 enquiries are pending with the Enquiry Office itself. While 234 employees are currently under suspension, including 150 suspended due to criminal cases and 84 specifically linked to bribery/Anti-Corruption Bureau matters.

Key Figures from the Report

Total pending enquiries: 537 (475 regular/survey enquiries + 62 summary enquiries).

Employees involved: 1,523.

Ageing of cases:

Up to 1 month: 182

2–6 months: 98

More than 6 months: 257

Only 15 enquiries were disposed of during April 2026.

The enquiry office itself should face an enquiry for its style of working. Although the data shows only 6 months of pending enquiry figures, in reality, many of these enquiries are pending for years, and eventually, the officers retire. It is practically impossible to punish a serving officer unless the victims themselves file private cases against the officials. In most cases, the officials are let off with a very small punishment or given a complete clean chit. Furthermore, despite SCIC orders, the BMC has refused to give the number of officials who have been dismissed from duty for various allegations.

Breakdown by Stage (as on 30.04.2026)

189 enquiries pending with enquiry officers themselves.

103 dormant/inactive" stage.

85 officers outside the Enquiry Department (in other civic departments) to conduct the enquiry itself

75 cases at the 7.8 action stage.

32 cases pending even after enquiry completion.

234 employees are currently suspended

Widespread Impact Across Departments

Enquiries cut across all levels:

Executive Engineers: 61.

Assistant Engineers: 147.

Sub-Engineers: 283.

Junior Engineers: 50.

Significant numbers in medical, administrative, supervisory, clerical (183), and Class IV staff (250+).

Engineering cadres alone account for a substantial portion of the backlog, highlighting vulnerabilities in infrastructure maintenance.

The data exposes a stark contrast in accountability, revealing that while hundreds of junior-level employees face scrutiny, there are currently 0 Deputy Municipal Commissioners (DMCs) undergoing departmental enquiries. Despite their roles as administrative heads responsible for ward management, senior positions like Ward officers (1 case), Chief Engineer (2 case), and various department heads have minimal to no pending enquiry list compared to the massive volume of cases against junior engineers and clerks.

Published on: Friday, July 03, 2026, 03:49 PM IST