Mumbai: Ahead of civic polls, Devendra Fadnavis announces CAG to investigate corruption in BMC

Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who holds the housing portfolio, on Wednesday announced a special CAG audit in various BMC works for alleged irregularities. If required the inquiry will also be conducted through a retired officer.

Fadnavis told the state assembly that there were several complaints of irregularities in BMC and a CAG audit will be conducted in the complaints specifically about the blatant siphoning of funds.

All the corruption allegations related to the BMC will be investigated by the urban development department of the Maharashtra government and a CAG audit will also be conducted for the same,” Fadanvis said. His announcement came in response to a discussion under rule 293 of the Maharashtra legislature, where he said that few employees of BMC are forming their own companies, and were doing BMCs jobs. This will also be investigated, he said.

He said, “all the corruption allegations related to the Ashraya scheme for giving houses to the sanitation workers will also be looked into on priority.”

‘’According to Fadnavis, 29,009 such houses will be given to the sanitation workers with all the property rights, which were earlier denied by the previous government.

Fadanvis assured the house that the investigation will not be a mere “eyewash” but will be done thoroughly. It will be conducted in a time bound manner.

He also said that there was a complaint of BMC employees setting up companies and getting contracts by manipulating the system. He directed that the urban development department should hold the probe in such cases.

Further, Fadnavis announced that a special inquiry will be conducted into the change of declared plan in the Saifee Bhutani Uplift Trust project and clarified that there was no stay on the ongoing redevelopment project.

Published on: Thursday, August 25, 2022, 07:45 AM IST